REPORT ON LARCH FORESTS. 407 



must expect the plants after their kind. For example, a col- 

 lection of seed is made from trees affected with various forms of 

 disease, and some also quite sound. If the theory of hereditary 

 disease be correct, a crop would occupy the ground as promis- 

 cuous as were the diseases of the seeds : one tree affected with 

 dry rot, another by its side with ground rot, one tree affected 

 with blister, another close by it with Coccus laricis ; and in the 

 centre of a group which have died off suddenly, one or two are 

 in perfect health. The reverse of all this is the case. However 

 mixed the trees are when planted, subtle disease attacks them 

 all alike or in groups. 



It is maintained by some, that only seeds procured from 

 trees thoroughly acclimatised produce plants hardy enough 

 to withstand the rigours of our seasons, and declaim the prac- 

 tice of growing plants from foreign seed. Considerable import- 

 ance is attached to the acclimatised plants ; but little is known 

 as to what takes place with a larch tree when undergoing the 

 process of acclimatising, or how far the original nature of the 

 plant has been changed, or its constitution rendered more 

 hardy by the climate of the country. In the absence of cor- 

 roborative proof in support of the above view, the writer dis- 

 cards it, believing, as he does, that plants which were raised 

 from imported seed are better, or, at least, equal to any that 

 have been grown from what is termed acclimatised seed. 



Many, on the other hand, hold the opinion, that sound trees 

 can only be grown from imported seed, and contend that the 

 action of the pollen in local plantations is such as to corrupt the 

 seed, that the pollen of diseased trees is conveyed to those that 

 are sound, and thereby contaminate the seed. They, too, point to 

 the first introduced larches, the best yet grown, in support of 

 their views. It is, however, an undeniable fact, that thousands of 

 trees grown from foreign seed become diseased, and many of the 

 Duke of Athole's first planted larches were affected with blight 

 and other diseases. 



It is maintained by some, that to grow larch sound, it should 

 be grown as single trees, or at least they should never touch 

 each other, because, as soon as the branches touch, disease is 

 gendered. Single trees are pointed out as proof of such opinion, 

 but it is scarcely necessary to say that thousands of single trees 

 may be seen almost anywhere quite diseased. It is, however, 

 beneficial to larch to give its branches free and full scope. 



Deep planting is also looked upon by many as the cause of 

 disease, and they point out trees where the roots are near the 

 surface as the soundest and most healthy, while others whose 

 roots are deeper in the ground are affected with ground-rot. The 

 benefit of ebb over deep planting is twofold. 



First, The roots are larger and of better quality when near 



