Our forests and woodlands . olet it stand just a year or two more to grow abit larger before being cut out—yet that littleadvantage may be dearly bought by interferencewith the growth of what is meant to be thepermanent crop. A tree here and there, how-ever, should always add something to the valueof the crop, so long as this retention of larch AMONG THE PINES AND FIRS 239 is not done on so large a scale as to induce badattacks of the cankerous fungous disease, thewind-borne spores of which are now almosteverywhere scattered throughout the length andbreadth of our British Isles. But even theJa
Our forests and woodlands . olet it stand just a year or two more to grow abit larger before being cut out—yet that littleadvantage may be dearly bought by interferencewith the growth of what is meant to be thepermanent crop. A tree here and there, how-ever, should always add something to the valueof the crop, so long as this retention of larch AMONG THE PINES AND FIRS 239 is not done on so large a scale as to induce badattacks of the cankerous fungous disease, thewind-borne spores of which are now almosteverywhere scattered throughout the length andbreadth of our British Isles. But even theJapanese larch is by no means immune fromthis fell disease, although there can be no doubtthat it is as yet not so liable to be attacked bythe fungus as the European species which yieldsthe better timber. For interplanting amongcoppice or on very weedy ground the Japaneselarch has the great advantage of growing veryrapidly when young—although later on it doesnot maintain this quicker rate of growth than theEuropean CHAPTER VIII Hedgerow Trees & Hedges The hedges and hedgerow trees are amongthe fairest possessions of our beautiful form the chief features of English land-scape, and give to it a beauty unknown on theContinent of Europe, where field joins field indreary monotony without hedge or fence. Ithas, no doubt, ever been so. Trees were con-venient to mark off different holdings, and theywere connected by live fences grown for shelter;so hedges and hedgerow trees have always been,along with scattered remnants and other patchesof woodland, among the great features of ruralEngland. In the sixteenth century Holinshedtells us how, * in the woodland countries there is 240 HEDGEROW TREES AND HEDGES 241 almost no hedge that hath not some store of thegreatest sort (of trees), beside infinit numbers ofhedgerows . . that are mainteined of purposefor the building and provision of such ownersas doo possesse the same/ Oak had then always the preference, thoughnowad
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