CHAP. CXIII. CONl FER.ii. iA lUX. 2395 



The trees, however, shot up clean stems 20 ft. to 25 ft. above the part covered 

 with moss ; and these stems were as healthy as those of the healthiest trees, 

 that had never been affected. On cutting the wood, the covered part was no 

 more injured in quality than the wood of the healthiest trees, though the 

 lichen had adhered to them for 15 years. The effect of this blight, then, was 

 only superficial. The existence of this disease for 8 or 10 years certainly re- 

 tarded the growth of the trees ; but it did not cause the duke to relax in the 

 least in his efforts to form large larch forests : on the contrary, it impressed 

 upon him the necessity of planting the high ridges of the mountains, in order 

 that the trees might be placed beyond the influence of the disease, which did 

 not appear higher than GOO ft. above the level of the sea. 



" In Felling large Trees o/Zwc//, care must be taken to use plenty of rope, and 

 to take advantage of the direction of the wind. A windy day should be avoided. 

 It was found that, in digging the Scotch pine out by the I'oots from among 

 the larch, the ground was much shaken about the roots of the larch, so as to 

 endanger their stability. Ever after, the pine was cut over by the ground. 



" The Seasoning of Larch r/wie;- is accelerated by stripping off the bark before 

 felling. In May, 1815, the duke experimented on 50 trees of larch at Dun- 

 keld, that were growing in a situation, among other wood, that was nearly in- 

 accessible for want of a road or path to it. In 1816, they were cut down and 

 used for several purposes, and they appeared to be completely seasoned. 

 They contained 25 cubic feet of wood each. Larch trees that had been onlj' 

 10 months cut down were built into a steam-boat on the river Thames; but 

 they had not been seasoned enough, as the planks above water, near the deck, 

 shrunk a little. In this case, however, the scantlings were made the same as 

 of oak, which were of too slight dimensions for larch. 



'■■ The j)rohahle future Supply of Larch Timber from the Woods of Athol is thus 

 calculated by the duke. The experiments performed on the value and dura- 

 bility of larch, as ship timber, were performed chiefly on the 1900 trees planted 

 by Duke James, and which had attained a serviceable size during the time of 

 the late duke. Of them only SCO or 900 were left as ornaments about the 

 lawns and parks of Dunkeld and Blair. Unfortunately, a blank of 15 years 

 took place in the planting of larch by Duke John. To compensate, as far 

 as was in the power of the late duke, for this great deficiency in the regular 

 supply of timber, he resolved, in 1817, not to cut any trees for ship-building 

 till the year 1832 ; thus sacrificing his own personal emolument for tlie sake of 

 the estate. The most of the trees planted by Duke John were too young for 

 ship-building. After 18.32, the annual cuttings for ship timber may be calcu- 

 lated at the followino; rates : — 



" The Value of Larch Timber may be seen from the prices which the duke 

 received for it for various purposes. In 1806, the duke cut 20 larch trees of 

 the age of 64 years, to make the centres of the middle arch, of 90 ft. span, 

 of the bridge that was building across the Tay at Dunkeld. They were from 

 105 ft. to 109 ft. in length, and they contained from 80 to 90 cubic feet of 

 timber each. After standing for 3 years as centres, they were sold by public 

 sale, at 2s. 8rf. per cubic foot. In 1810, Messrs. Symes and Co., ship-builders 

 in Leith, bought 11 trees, producing 1066 cubic feet, at 3s. per foot. In Fe- 

 bruary, 1819, the duke sold to Messrs. Bolton and Watt, and laid down for 

 them at Evan's Yard, London, 4176 cubic feet of larch, at 3s. Qd. per foot, 

 for the building of steam-boats. Mr. Ainslie, ship-builder, Perth, bought 500 

 trees, yielding not less than 12 ft. each, at Is. Qd. per foot ; the buyer paying 

 all expenses of cutting down and carrying away. The duke also supplied 



