REFORT ON LARCH FORESTS. 3 i 9 



rally unsuitable) than all others. Trees root well in sand — 

 few deaths occur immediately after planting, but trees grown 

 upon it are always, when aged (except Scots pine), decayed in 

 the heartwood, and seldom attain large dimensions. 



Planting upon gravel is either succeeded by considerable 

 success or almost total failure, — just in proportion as it is loose 

 and open, and mixed with other substances, or solid and pure 

 shingle. Pure gravel is incapable of sustaining larch, but is a 

 beneficial ingredient in clay, moss, and other soils, by keeping 

 them open. Tenacious clay soils are fatal to larch, although it 

 grows fast upon them during ten or fifteen years after planting. 

 The flourishing state of young plantations upon clays often induce 

 such soils to be planted. Loams are adapted to grow larch to the 

 highest state of perfection; and yet as many larches have pro- 

 bably died (prematurely) upon loams as upon any other descrip- 

 tion of soil. Dry loams, rather poor, are suitable. Damp, clayey, 

 and rich loams are not. It is not only necessary on the part of 

 the planter to know the different varieties of soil by name, but 

 also to know them practically, so that when turned up by the 

 spade he knows which are suitable and which are not. 



The larch has gained for itself in history a name and place 

 next to that of the oak, and on that account alone claims atten- 

 tion. Our plea for adverting to its history here, is in order to 

 form comparisons, and make deductions, to enable us more fully 

 to ascertain how far it has degenerated or improved since its 

 introduction into Britain. 



The first mention of the cultivation of larch in England is 

 made by Parkinson, in the " Corollary to his Orchard," 1629. 

 Evelyn, in 1664, mentions "a large tree of good stature at 

 Chelmsford, in Essex." Sir James Nasmyth planted some larches 

 at Dawick House, Peeblesshire, in 1725. It is also stated that 

 Lord Karnes planted some larches at Blair Drummond in 1734. 

 In 1738 Mr Menzies of Meggernie, in Glenlyon, Perthshire, 

 brought from London in his portmanteau sixteen small larch 

 plants, five of which he left at Dunkeld, and eleven at Blair- 

 Athole, as a present to the Duke of Athole. Those left at 

 Dunkeld were for a time kept in the greenhouse, but growing so 

 fast, and for other reasons, were planted outside, where two oi' 

 them still remain. 



In 1738 five larches were planted at Monzie Castle, in Perth- 

 shire, said to be of the same sample as those planted at Dunkeld 

 and Blair- Athole. It is said that they were stolen from the 

 carrier, who brought a quantity of larch for the Duke of Athole a 

 few years after those were planted at Dunkeld and Blair- Athole. 



Between the years 1740 and 1750, James, Duke of Athole, 

 planted at Dunkeld 350 larches, and during the same period he 

 planted at Blair 873 larches. In 1759 the Duke of Athole 



