On Naval Timber and Arboriculture. Patrick Matthew
of our Scots fir, indigenous in Mar and Rannoch mountains; and our narrow-leafed, or English elm, said to have been introduced from the Holy Land in time of the Crusades, has not more than one-half of the number of our indigenous broad-leafed, or Scots elm. From the sap-growths of Laburnum, {46} scarcely exceeding in number those of the Spanish chestnut, we should suppose that it has been moved northward, or that the proper climate has left it. We have observed that moist, or water-soaked ground, has influence, as well as climate, to deprive the alburnum vessels sooner of their living functions, inducing that torpor of tubes, or semi-vital condition, in which they only serve to support the more active parts, and constitute what is called Mature Timber.
It is a general opinion that Spanish chestnut soon takes rot in situations where the roots come in contact with water. This appears to result from moist soil inducing the too early maturing of the timber already alluded to, and occasioning shaky insufficient fabric, which soon corrupts. We have observed oaks which had fewer layers of sap-wood, from growing in damp situations, have the timber of inferior quality, and sometimes of a shaky, brownish description, when cut across, throwing out a dirty brownish liquid or stain.
From the use of the Spanish chestnut in the Spanish navy, both in planking and timbering, and from the roofing beams and ornamental work of Westminster Hall being also of this wood, we should suppose it was not so liable to this defect of rents in {47} the timber in milder climates. Chestnut timber is a good deal similar to oak, though not quite so reedy and elastic, but is destitute of the large laminæ or plates (flash), which, radiating from the pith to the outside, become so prominent to view in the oak when the longitudinal section is perpendicular to the outside, in the plane of the laminæ. It is, we should think, as capable of supporting weight, when stretching as a beam, as the oak, and is equally, if not more durable, many beams of it existing in very old buildings undecayed: it is said even to have been taken out fresh where it had stood 600 years as lintels. Earth stakes of it are also very durable. It possesses one advantage over oak, which must recommend it for ship-building, that is, having much less proportion of sap-wood; and, from the matured wood containing much less sap or moisture, we should suppose it not so liable to dry rot, or that more simple means, or shorter period, would suffice for seasoning it, so as to be proof against this evil. Spanish chestnut is as yet little known among British shipwrights; but were a quantity of it in the market free of the unsoundness we have alluded to, its merits would soon become known. The bark is used by tanners, but is said not to equal that of oak.
BEECH-TREE—Fagus sylvatica.
This hardy tree occupies fully as wide a range, both of soil and climate, as the oak, and is generally the fastest growing, most vigorous of all our hard-wood kinds, prospering on all soils, on the dry and moist, the aluminous, the calcareous, the siliceous, provided water does not stagnate. It combines magnificence with beauty, being at once the Hercules and Adonis of our Sylva. The timber of our beech, while green, is by far the hardest of our large growing trees, and, in the American forest, the members of the beechen family match better than those of any other, with the perseverance of the ruthless Yankee; the roots retaining the hardness deeper in the earth than those of any other tree, and being so plaited and netted throughout the ground for a considerable space around the bulb, that it is next to impossible to trench or dig over the soil till they have decayed.
As we have before stated, the timber of the beech-tree soon corrupts if it is not speedily dried, or kept in water after being cut down, and is equally liable to corruption in the tree when deprived of life by wounds or other injury. Beech has a matured and sap wood, although they are not very distinguishable, being nearly of one colour. The former has {49} considerable durability when kept dry, the latter is speedily consumed by worming.
The planter of beech should procure the kind10 with yellow-coloured wood, termed by joiners Yellow Beech, in opposition to the kind with white wood, called White Beech. The yellow grows faster and straighter, and is cleaner and freer of black knots, and also more pleasantly worked than the white, but it corrupts much sooner in the bark when cut down. This variety of beech, when properly trained, is probably the most profitable hard-wood that we can raise; when planked, it bends pleasantly under the shipwright to the curvature of the vessel’s side. The tree is also much superior in size and grace of outline to the white. There are few planters who need be put in mind that beech of small size, or of short or crooked stem, is the least valuable of all timber. Whoever plants with a view to profit will, therefore, throw in only as many beech plants as may ultimately be required for standards, and these in the bosom of plantations; as it is seldom that beech attains to much value in hedge-row or on the outskirts of woods, {50} from its proneness when so situated to ramify and grow crooked. It is, however, quite possible, with a little early attention, to rear beech as straight and clean as to be valuable, on the outskirts, where it forms a beautiful fringe to the plantation, and affords excellent shelter.
ELM—Ulmus.—BROAD-LEAVED, OR SCOTCH, or WYCH ELM—Ulmus montana.
This beautiful and most graceful tree, whose favourite locality is the damp, deep, accumulated soil, free of stagnant water, at the bottom of declivities, is, together with its sister, the small-leaved kind, the English elm, when so situated, the fastest growing of our hard-wood trees. Both delight in easy or gravelly soils, though the small-leaved will also prosper in the more adhesive, the alluvial and diluvial clays.
There are a number of kinds of elm growing in this country, differing rather more from the common run of U. montana and U. campestris, than what occurs among seedling varieties of untamed plants; but as these have very probably a power of mingling by the pollen, thence not specifically different, we leave to {51} botanists to explain their nice peculiarities, and think it sufficient to rank the whole under montana and campestris, especially as the timber seems to range into two kinds—Montana, with large leaves, heavy annual shoots, somewhat zig-zag, thick towards the point, thence drooping a little from gravity; having much sap-wood, and timber of great longitudinal toughness, but, from the great quantity of sap-wood, and want of lateral adhesion, it splits considerably in drying;—Campestris, with smaller leaves, more numerous straight annual shoots, which are small towards the point, thence more erect, has but little sap-wood, and the timber also possessing greater lateral adhesion, and less longitudinal, it does not crack much in drying. We have noticed one broad leaved kind or variety, whose annual twigs often spring out in tufts or knots from one point; this seems to arise from the shoot of the preceding year sometimes dying, probably nipped by frost, and the tuft of shoots springing out from the knot at the lower extremity of the dead twig. From this cause, it has not the graceful easy spread of branches of the U. montana, but assumes a more angular, stiff, upright figure. We have heard this named Dutch Elm, but it does not quite correspond with the elm in the parks at London said to be Dutch. We consider it a kind {52} not very nearly allied to U. montana, yet the above peculiarity of appearance may only arise from individual tenderness, and may not be accompanied by other difference of character.
The elm, more especially the broad-leaved Scotch elm, has a peculiar fan-like sloping-to-one-side spread of branches, most perceptible while young; hence the tree when grown up, has generally a slight bending in the stem, which renders it very fitting for floor-timbers of vessels, the only part of a ship, excepting bottom plank, to which it is applicable, as it soon decays above water. Its great toughness and strength, however, render it good floors.
There are some kinds of foreign elm which deserve attention. Some time ago we planted several of these, and lately cut down one of about six inches diameter, which we found a great deal harder and stronger timber than our U. montana. We had this kind under the name of the Broad-leaved American. The bark was rather lighter in colour, and smoother, than U. montana; the leaves were rough and large, and the annual shoots extremely luxuriant; but, probably