2392 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 



nine, as nurses to the larch, some part of the plantations which had been made 

 about the year 1800, before the period of seedling plants being used. This, as 

 the duke observes, was 'the dwarf nursing the giant.' In 1817, most of 

 these Scotch pines had not attained a heiglit exceeding 3 ft., while the larches, 

 which they were intended to nurse, were from 13 ft. to 20 ft. high. In the 

 lower part of the same plantation, where the Scotch pine had grown to 20 ft. 

 in hei<Tht, the larch exhibited a stature of from 30 ft. to -iOft. ; and, in the 

 instance before referred to, in an elevated situation, at 900 ft. above the sea, 

 where the Scotch pines were more than 42 years old, they were only 5 ft. and 6 ft. 

 hi"h ; whilst the larch, in the same situation, and planted 10 years after them, 

 had reached up from 40 ft. to 50 ft. in height. In 1816, the duke measured a 

 larch, on a pinnacle of the highest ridge of the ground alluded to above, at 

 only 9 years after planting, which was quite straight and vigorous, and stood 

 16 ft. high, and the nearest Scotch pine to it was only 2 ft. 6 in." On this 

 passage,"Mr. Gorrie remarks, that the Scotch pine should never be mixed with 

 the larch in plantations, as it will produce rot. 



Rate of Growth of the Lurch. " Taking the average height, then, of an average 

 larch of 8 years from the seed at 1 1 ft., it will be nearly accurate to allow 

 16 in. as the annual growth, till the tree is 50 years old ; and after that, only 

 10 in. per annum, for 22 years longer, as the length of the tree lessens in 

 growth as the bulk of the wood increases. These data give a larch tree of 72 

 years of age a height of 93 ft. 4 in. ; a fair average, agreeing with actual expe- 

 riment. The shoots of larches beyond 35 years of age are heavier, though they 

 are not so long as those of younger trees. The larch, like the oak, puts forth 

 two shoots every year, the one in spring, the other in autumn. The spring 

 shoot has no lateral branches : the autumnal shoot pushes out like the spring 

 one ; but, at the time this process is going on, the spring one is throwing out 

 lateral branches. These lateral branches are firm and woody. In regard to 

 the "rowth of the girt, a larch tree, on an average, will acquire 1 in. in girt 

 per annum, till it be 24 years old ; and from that time, till it has acquired the 

 age of 72 years, it will grow li in. in girt every year ; thus. 



In 21 years, it will be 2 ft. in girt, at 1 in. per annum. 

 48 — more 5 — IJ — 



In 72 — it will be 7 ft. 



The larch begins to make wood at 24 years of age. 



■ ' At 50 years old, it will contain 26 cubic feet of wood. 



60 — — 14 — more. 



72 — _ 20 — — 



In all, 60 cubic feet of wood ; or one load of 50 cubic 

 — feet, and 10 ft. more. 



" These results correspond exactly with the quantities which the duke ob- 

 tained at these respective ages. Larch appears to be on its greatest increase 

 for timber from 57 to 72 years old. A larch containing 50 cubic ft., or one 

 load of timber, is quite fit for naval purposes. At half that size it is suitable 

 for every country purpose. 



" Afciu Examples of the sizes of the timber which the duke felled may not 

 prove uninteresting. In 1806, twenty larches, at the age of 64 years, were cut 

 for centres to the bridge building at Dunkeld. These trees having been drawn 

 up by close planting, they were from 105 ft. to 109 ft. in length; their girts 

 were from 5 ft. to 5 ft. 4 in. ; and they avcragctl from 80 to 90 cubic feet of tim- 

 ber. In 1810 and 1811, 600 trees were felled at Dunkeld and Blair, to send 

 to Woolwich dockyard, the aggregate amount of which was 606 loads. The 

 timber was much admired by the best judges. One of the logs contained 83 ft. 

 of wood. 



" The Larch will thrive better in a northern than in a southern Exposure, till it is 

 about .'JO years of age; but, after that period, there is no [)erceptible difference. 

 This circumstance may be ex|)lained by the favourable effect of an equable 

 temperature on the health of trees. The vicissitudes of frost and thaws must 



