Birch and beech do well, although neither of them attains to a large size. The latter reproduces itself freely from seeds, and soon spreads wherever a footing can be got. Sycamore grows freely, particularly where the pan is broken up, and produces a small quantity of good timber. Another tree that seems perfectly at home on the coal and ironstone is the wild cherry, for there it grows to a fair size, flowers freely, and produces excellent timber. Larch cannot be recommended for this soil, but in places where a small quantity of loam overlies the coal and ironstone it grows with great freedom for a number of years, and the timber, if cut early, is of good quality. The common spruce soon dies out, although it may grow freely enough for a number of years after being planted, and wear a healthy appearance. Oak and ash do fairly well, but they rarely attain to a large size or produce first-class timber. Rhododendrons almost revel in this soil, and some of the largest and healthiest are growing with their roots in close contact with the coal and ironstone. =Shrubs for Hot and Dry Soils.=—The Bladder Senna (_Colutea arborescens_) is one of the most useful of shrubs for planting in poor, hot, dry soils, and not only will it succeed and flower well in these, but it is equally valuable for using where the air is chemically impure, and for that reason has few equals for the town or city shrubbery. _C. cruenta_ is also valuable in a similar way. The Sea Purslane (_Atriplex halimus_) is another valuable shrub for planting in hot and dry situations as is _Caragana arborescens_, the native Barberry (_Berberis vulgaris_), many forms of Genista and Cytisus, _Spartium junceum_, and the double flowering Gorse. Another excellent shrub is the Box Thorn or Tea Tree (_Lycium Europæum_) which is useful for covering an arid hot bank, several species of Cotoneaster, particularly _C. horizontalis_ and _C. microphylla_, and the neat and curious _Muchlenbeckia complexa_. Helianthemums also do well, so does the Venetian Sumach (_Rhus cotinus_), and several varieties of bramble, but especially the double pink flowering form. The Rest Harrow (_Ononis arvensis_), a native shrubby plant of great floral beauty, also does well; while the little known _Celastris articulatus_ should not be neglected in hot and dry situations. Other good shrubs for hot dry banks are _Potentilla fruticosa_, the Tamarisk and _Juniperus tamariscifolia_.