damage. Taking the appearance of the whole together, every circumstance goes to establish an opinion, that, had all the bark been left on the part within the ground, the post might have lasted for ages.

The useful inference from the above is this. Larch posts, to have the greatest possible degree of durability, must be made of the whole wood, retaining the bark upon the part to be put into the ground. In all cases, where simple usefulness only is required, the best method would be to retain the whole of it; except what may be displaced by morticing, &c.

Where neatness is required, squaring or rounding becomes absolutely necessary; and therefore, care should be taken to have the wood seasoned; for otherwise, it will crack considerably after the bark is displaced. Perhaps the best method of doing it, would be to have the trees taken down

in Autumn, at the expiration of the growing season, and exposed to the weather for twelve months at least; by which time, it is presumed, they would be so far gradually dried, that little of cracking could afterwards take place.-The necessity for seasoning is obvious; but it is not pretended the above is positively the best method of effecting it, as no time to make experiments has elapsed, since the durability of such posts was discovered; every one will, therefore, use his own discretion in that point, being fully assured that such cracking must be avoided, or the article will be very materially damaged.

In proof of the last assertion, we may notice the state of great numbers of Larch Rails, in this neighbourhood. HERE, very unfortunately for the purchasers, an idea has been prevalent, that the best method of making Fir Rails durable, (the Larch included,) is to take off the bark; and hence,

it has been common to have them cut down, when the sap flowed most freely.

Whether the time of cutting down, and the taking off the bark, was right in regard to Firs, generally, I am not prepared to decide with certainty, but am inclined to believe, that it is wrong; as, if not immediately split, the sort of cracks we have been speaking of, must follow as the certain consequence; yet, if the poles were used in a perpendicular direction, or were not exposed to moisture, such cracks would do little damage; but when exposed to the weather, in an horizontal position, as every crack, whose opening is upwards, must not only collect, but hold water, the sap, or least durable part of the wood, is constantly exposed to the extremes of drought and moisture. The bark is certainly taken off, to prevent the moisture lodging between that and the wood, and thereby occasioning rottenness; but whether

the evil intended to be prevented, is not generally promoted by such means, must be left to the intelligent.

As to the particular case of the Larch, I can have no doubt; indeed, the only case, in which I have yet found any Larch wood rotten, that had not been in the ground, or exposed to alternate drought and moisture, is that of rails, &c. managed as the above, namely, cut down green, then disbarked, and afterwards used whole. Within a few hundred yards of where I am writing, there are many such, decayed less or more, in and about the cracks; in some few instances, all the sappy part is gone from one side, for more than a foot in length; while, on other parts of the same rails, where no cracks appear, or where parts of the bark have been left on, the wood is as sound as when first put up. If, after this, people will persist in the

practice, I can only say, the fault is not mine.

4

Having thus far noted the excellence of the Larch, I shall now advert to what may be called its defect, one only being known, and that of a late standing; for, though the plant has been introduced into the kingdom, at least 150 years, it is only within the last ten that its particular enemy has attracted notice. This is an insect; (probably one of the numerous tribe of the Aphides ;) the same which has frequently been observed upon the Scotch Fir, but never to remain long, or do any material damage. Upon the Larch, the case is very different, as there, these destructive creatures appear in innumerable myriads reducing trees, previously vigorous, to a state of languor, and not unfrequently killing them, as it were, by inches. Of these, as of the insects which infest Fruit trees, we may observe, that they are uniformly most numerous upon plants previously in an unhealthy state, and seldom fail to increase the disease. As a general