The Weymouth Pine — At Gwydyr Castle
The Weymouth Pine (P. Strobus), whether viewed in an ornamental or economic aspect, must be considered as another of the most valuable pines that have been introduced into this country. Admit, we must, that in certain situations the cultivation of this handsome tree has been attended with no very promising results; but then it should be remembered that, like most other trees, the Weymouth pine has its likes and dislikes of soil, as well, indeed, as of aspect and altitude. That it has succeeded well, and produced an unusually large quantity of clean and firm wood in various parts of the country cannot be denied; but then in such places its peculiar wants have been attended to. At Gwydyr Castle, in North Wales, the tree succeeds admirably, specimens fully 90 ft. in height, straight as arrows, branchless for three-fourths their length, and fully 8 ft. in girth at breast-high, being not uncommon. The soil is rocky debris, largely intermixed with vegetable refuse, fairly moist at all times, but without stagnant moisture.
On the western borders of Ross-shire, at Strathkyle, where the altitudes vary from 100 ft. to 1,200 ft., the Weymouth pine is making rapid progress. We do not wish it to be inferred that the Weymouth pine alone is suitable for planting at high altitudes and on exposed situations; but that it will grow rapidly and produce useful timber in partially-sheltered districts has been proved by those who have paid particular attention to the value of the more recently introduced conifers as profitable timber-producers in this country.
A comparison of the wood produced by the Weymouth pine in this country with that sent to the late Colonial and Indian Exhibition showed but slight differences, and nothing more than could naturally be expected between a mature and an only partially-developed tree.
The Scotch Pine (P. sylvestris) must on no account be omitted from our list; as, especially for planting in exposed situations where few other trees could succeed, it is one of the best. Probably the principal reason why this tree has not been more generally cultivated, is on account of the low-priced timber it produces, for, of late years, it has been difficult, except in certain favoured districts, to get rid of it at a remunerative price. With the war, matters are quite different. The finest quality of Scotch pine timber, such as that produced in some of the northern Scottish counties, no doubt, is even now fairly remunerative; but, generally speaking, that grown throughout Southern Scotland, England as a whole, and also Ireland, is of so inferior a quality as hardly to fetch a remunerative price. No doubt, however, this pine will continue to be largely planted wherever shelter and ornament are of first importance: and rightly so, for few others are so well able to withstand cold, cutting blasts at high altitudes.
The Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga Douglasii) is, in certain situations, a valuable timber-producing tree—indeed, as regards the actual production of timber in a given time, it is, perhaps, ahead of any other tree grown in this country. From measurements we have taken, the actual production of timber during fifty years was 240 ft., or nearly 5 ft. per year for half a century. In a plantation of the Douglas fir in Wales, planted twenty-two years, we found the average dimensions to be as follows: Height, 76 ft.; girth of stem at 24 ft., 4 ft.; cubic contents, fully 50 ft. The timber produced in this country is of excellent quality, being light but strong, works very readily, has a pleasant yellowish tinge, and takes on a good polish. That the Douglas fir is a tree that is eminently adapted for cultivation in this country is already well known; but to grow it in anything like a satisfactory way it must be planted in sheltered hollows, for extensive experience has long ago proved to us that it is ill-adapted for braving the storm, even at a few feet above the sea-level. Long ago we strongly advocated the forming of plantations of P. Douglasii alone, or with some other tree of about equally rapid growth, for, when mixed up with the general run of our forest trees, the leader, on overtopping those of its neighbours, soon gets broken over, or otherwise presents an almost branchless, whip-handle-like appearance. We do not wish to say one word against this our favourite fir: but the truth must be told, and our own experience, gained principally on a low-lying seaside estate, where the tree was annually planted by the thousand, is that P. Douglasii must occupy a sheltered situation if either ornament or utility be considered as points of first importance.
The Giant Arborvitæ (Thuja gigantea) is fast coming to the front as a British timber tree, and has already, at the hands of far-seeing planters, received a fair amount of attention. After a fair and impartial trial on our part, we have found it to be perfectly hardy, even at high altitudes, a fast grower and rapid timber-producer, a non-fastidious subject as regards the quality of soil in which it is planted, and one of the most easily managed and most accommodating of trees. The quality of timber produced in this country is such as to warrant us in speaking highly of it, it being of a desirable yellow colour, fine-grained, easily worked, remarkably durable, and light in proportion to its bulk. From the measurements of fully twenty-four specimens scattered over an English park, we have found that the average annual rate of growth is 22 in., but even this is exceeded by young trees.
The Norway Spruce (Picea excelsa).—Whether as a hardy, shelter-giving tree, or for the quantity of fairly good timber it produces, the common or Norway spruce must ever rank high in the list of useful trees that have been found suitable for culture in the British Isles. That it is a tree in every sense of the word admirably suited for extensive planting is acknowledged by all, as it luxuriates at high altitudes, and where fully exposed to our worst winds, and at the same time produces a great quantity of timber that has been found of excellent quality, well suited for general constructive purposes. As a shelter tree few others can equal the spruce, and when planted along the outskirts of exposed plantations the amount of warmth and protection it affords is quite surprising.
The Silver Fir (Abies pectinata) is another of those trees that have of late years fallen into disrepute, mainly owing to the increased importation of foreign timber. That it is an excellent and highly remunerative tree is unquestionable, and the very fact of its thriving luxuriantly on soils where the larch declines to grow should make it, in this country at least, of great value as a forest tree.
With the most satisfactory results has the timber been used for railway sleepers—in fact four sleepers laid experimentally have stood the wear and tear quite as well as those of Baltic timber, alongside of which they were placed. For roofing purposes the wood has likewise attained great fame, as it is found to stand vicissitudes of dry and damp alternately better than almost any other home-grown timber.
The coniferous trees just treated of are about the only kinds that can be recommended for profitable planting in this country.
The Atlantic Cedar and Japanese Larch might be added to the list, but present experience will not justify us in bringing any of these prominently to notice.
Twenty-five years ago, at the instigation of the then Earl of Derby, the writer formed several plantations on the Holwood Estate in Kent. At the outset it may be well to state that these plantations were not formed with the object of producing valuable timber, but rather for the ornamentation and privacy of the newly-acquired property. The trees used were the Scotch, Corsican, Austrian and Weymouth pines, Douglas fir, the larch, and several species of hardwoods. As all have succeeded well under exactly similar conditions, the following notes as to the rate of growth and production of timber, both of which are unusually great, during a period of twenty-five years may be instructive.
Previously to being planted the land, which may best be described as a hungry loam on a gravelly subsoil and sheltered, was let out for rough grazing and the cultivation of strawberries and other fruit.
The cost per acre of forming these plantations was:—
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Pitting, 2,722 at 1s. per 100 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Planting | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Trees, at 40s. per 1,000 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
| £7 | 16 | 2 |
This price may appear both high and low, but in connexion with the former it should be explained that the coniferous trees when planted were about 16 in. high, the others about 3 ft., all being placed 4 ft. apart. Owing to the land having recently been under cultivation and labour at that time being cheap in the district, the opening of pits was carried out by contract at quite a nominal rate, the size of each being 12 in. square and 9 in. deep. After being planted the trees required little attention for the first six years, at which period they averaged 8 ft. in height, and the shade occasioned by the branch spread had killed out most of the grassy undergrowth.
As the plantations were primarily intended for ornament and shelter, the retention of the lower branches of the trees, at least along the margin, was imperative, and in order to ensure this, early thinning was engaged in and carried out at regular intervals up to the present time, always bearing in mind to allow the boundary trees plenty of room for branch development, those inwards, in order to induce clean growth, being left much closer on the ground. Though in the latter case the volume of timber produced is comparatively less than along the margins, yet it is of greater value owing to the trees being straight and clean-stemmed, the only exception being the Corsican pine which, even when isolated, has little inclination to form stout side branches.
The soil being light and resting on gravel was peculiarly suited for the growth of the pines, none of which suffered from disease or insect attack, though the Weymouth had occasional patches of the aphis with which it is usually attacked around London. The larch was practically free from canker.
During recent thinning operations a good opportunity was afforded of taking the actual measurements when felled of the various species of trees, these being as follows:—
| Austrian | pine, | average | height, | 46 ft.; | cubic | contents, | 9 ft. |
| Corsican | ″ | ″ | ″ | 51 ft.; | ″ | ″ | 11 ft. |
| Scotch | ″ | ″ | ″ | 45 ft.; | ″ | ″ | 8 ft. |
| Weymouth | ″ | ″ | ″ | 42 ft.; | ″ | ″ | 6 ft. |
| Larch | ″ | ″ | 47 ft.; | ″ | ″ | 8 ft. |
It will thus be seen that the Corsican pine has surpassed all the others both in height and in the quantity of timber produced; and in viewing the plantations from a distance the leaders of the Corsican pines soar quite 6 ft. above those of their neighbours. The Austrian comes next in the quantity of timber produced, but not in height; and the larch and Scotch are of about equal size, the Weymouth being equal to the latter in height but not in bulk of stem. But the larch beats all in value of timber, for, while that of the various species of pine was difficult to sell at a remunerative figure, the larch wood was readily disposed of at a fair valuation.
My experience is that timber merchants fight shy of purchasing any of the pine family excepting the Scotch. This may be owing to prejudice or want of knowledge as to the value of timber produced by the Corsican and Weymouth; but whatever the cause, the fact remains that the timber of both these species is difficult to dispose of at any but firewood rates. That of the Scotch being better known finds a ready market at about half the price of larch, which latter, after all, is the most useful and profitable of any coniferous tree cultivated in this country, and one for which the demand always exceeds the supply.