I. 4. THE LARCH. 93 



acres, six hundred of which were planted entirely, though 

 thinly, with larch. These took eight hundred thousand plants. 



"Observing with satisfaction and admiration the luxuriant 

 growth of the larch in all situations, and its hardihood, even in 

 the most exposed regions, the duke resolved on pushing entire 

 larch plantations still farther, to the summit of the highest 

 hills." He therefore determined to cover with larch sixteen 

 hundred Scotch acres, "situated from nine hundred to twelve 

 hundred feet above the level of the sea. Its soil, presenting 

 the most barren aspect, was strewed over thickly with frag- 

 ments of rock, and vegetation of any kind scarcely existed upon 

 it." " To endeavor to grow ship-timber," writes the duke, 

 " among rocks and shivered fragments of schist, such as I have 

 described, would have appeared to a stranger extreme folly, and 

 money thrown away ; but, in the year 1S00, I had for more 

 than twenty-five years so watched and admired the hardihood 

 and the strong vegetative powers of the larch, in many situa- 

 tions as barren and as rugged as any part of this range, though 

 not so elevated, as quite satisfied me that I ought, having so 

 fair an opportimity, to seize it." 



These, with four hundred acres more, occupied from 1800 to 

 1815. " Having now no doubt whatever of the successful 

 growth of the larch in very elevated situations, the duke still 

 farther pursued his object of covering all his mountainous re- 

 gions with that valuable wood. Accordingly, a space to the 

 northward of the one last described, containing two thousand 

 nine hundred and fifty-nine Scotch acres, was immediately en- 

 closed, and planted entirely with larch. This tract, lying gen- 

 erally above the region of broom, furze, juniper, and long heath, 

 required no artificial clearing. An improved mode of planting 

 was employed here, that of using young plants only, two or 

 three years' seedlings, put into the ground by means of an in- 

 strument invented by the duke, instead of the common spade." 

 In 1824, the growth of the larch in this last tract, called " Loch 

 Ordie Forest, having greatly exceeded the sanguine hopes and 

 expectations of the duke, he determined on adding to it an ex- 

 tensive adjoining tract, consisting of two thousand two hundred 

 and thirty -one Scotch acres, denominated Loch Hoishnie. The 



