The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-05-22
TIMBER CULTURE.TYROLEsE LARCH.

This tree is native of the Alps, and
was introduced into Scotland in the
year 1888, by the Duke of Athol, who
set eleven plants that were sent to him,
and was so delighted with their beauty
and rapid growth, and historic fame,
that he Immediately began setting his
thousands of acres.
Its rapid growth execls all other va
rieties of timber that are substantial and
durable. 1t is historic fact that the
Duke of Athol had the pleasure
of seeing British Frigate built in 1919
and 1920, of Larch timber grown from
plants of his setting. Also that trees
planted in I743 and 1745, in his grounds,
measured in 1885 and I797,-fifty-two
years,-from nine feet two inches, to
ten feet in circumference. and one hun
dred feet in hight. In my grounds.
plants that were twelve inches long
when / received them from Scotland, in
1856 and 1858, arenow trees of ten in
ches i'll diameter at the base, and TWEEN
ty-five feet in hight.
Its durability seems to be almost
equal to marble, rs will appear from the
following English writer's. Sir Il. d.
Lauder says: 1.-THE Larch is unquestion-
ably the most enduring timber we have
1t is remarkable that whilst the red
wood, or heart wood, is not found at
all in other resinous trees till they have
lived for good many years, the Larch.
OIL the contrary, begins TO make it soon
after it has been planted, and while you
may fell a Scotch Fir thirty years of age,
and find no red wood i'll it, you can har-
dly cut down young Larch long
enough to be walking stick, without
finding just such a proportion of rcd
wood, compared to its diameter as a
tree, as you will find in the largest
Larch tree in the forest. To prove the
value Of the Larch as timber tree, sew
eral experiments were made in the riv-
er Thames. Posts of equal thickness
and strength, some of Larch and others
of Oak, were driven down facing the
river wall, where they were alternately
covered with water by the effects of the
tide, and then lett dry by its fall. This
species of alienation is the most try
ing of ali circumstances for the endu-
rance of timber, and accordingly the
oaken posts decayed, and were twice
renewed III the course of very few
years, while those that were made of the
Larch remained altogether unchanged"
Mr.. LOudon, i'll his arboretum, says !:
mo wood remains unchanged by wa
ter longer than the Larch, and for this
reason it is in general use in France and
Switzerland Tor shingles and tor vine
props" For the latter purpose it is
found the most durable of ell kinds of
wood. The vine props of it are never
taken up; they remain fixed for an in
definite number of years, SO crop after
crop of vines spring up, bear their fruit,
and perish at their feet without show
ing any symptoms of decay. In most
instances, the proprietOrs of the vine
ward q ra nolfecffV nf n tho annch
when these props were first placed
there. They receive them in their pres
ent state from their fathers, and i'll the
state will transmit them TO their sons.
Props made of Silver Fir, and used the
same soil, with not last more than ten
years. Its adaptation to America soil and
climate is a settled fact. In all localities
where it has been planted, we have new
Ell yet learned of injury done TO it by
heat or cold, but it grows alike vigorous
on good and poor soil. 1t is 4 self-ier-
tiliZer. 1t is asserted that the soil of the
Larch plantations which would a:ore-
time scarcely produce any negotiations,
becomes rich and fertile that from one
quarter to one-half an inch OF soil is
made annually from the falling foliage
or leaves. That this is to be the great
timber tree of this country, there re-
mains not q doubt.
Let the man who buys quarter sec
ton OF prairie land, fence and set ten
acres of it to TyrOlese Larch, and in ten
years he has All abundant supply of fen
cling timber for all bis farm purposes,
and retains all that he should on the
same land or plantation for his future
forest growth. Let him set one-eighth
part OF the plants OF Weymouth, Cor
White Pine,) or a pine plant once in
twelve feet each way and between the
rows, Larch plants filling up to three
feet apart, and at the end OF thirty
years, when the Larch trees are all re-
moved, he has pine forest of more
than three hundred trees, more than
two feet in diameter and sixty Ieet i'll
highth, worth at least 1iIleen thousand
dollars. Meanwhile he has received Il
princely fortune from the avaiis OF the
Larch timber. The protection Afforded
| TO his larm crops and buildings alone.
would amply remunerate linn tor the
outlay.
The future demand necessitates the
planting of forests. Fery soon tie or
iginal forests o. the country viii Ge eX-
hausted, and we shall be destitute. Our
only remedy is TO plant ores.s, and that
immediately. The Illinois Stale Agri-
cultural Society has offered noble pre-
| MUM IOr the encouragement o, ioreSi
planting, Out NOT, III our esiiH iIloii,
quite enough specific. Kansas has
made q noble move in this direction,
worthy OF imitation Iowa is moving,
and The next meeting OF her Legislature
will doubtless tell OF her noble advance
| in extending patronage TO forest plan
! tiers. Let the State Legislature offer a
premium OF two dollars per acre. paid
annually, Tor twenty-five years, and al!
exemption from taxation OH all lands
set TO forests of specific varieties OF
| timber. 1t would doubtless double the
value of the entire real estate OF the
State above what it can be without ar
tificial forests. Let the enterprisin:
| farmers attend to this.-C0r. Prairie
Farmer.