report of the annual excursion. 207 



Tarvie. 



The remainder of the day was spoiled by the continuous 

 rain. On leaving Glamis the route taken was via Blairgowrie, 

 Glen Ericht, and Strathardle to Mr. R. L. Barclay's estate of 

 Tarvie, where only a brief call could be made owing to the wet. 

 There was, however, time to get a glimpse of the interesting 

 plantations which Mr Barclay had to show. The main feature 

 of the situation here is the elevation, which is everywhere over 

 looo feet. Scots pine, spruce, Douglas and yew, as well as 

 lime, sycamore and birch were all thriving at iioo feet. It was 

 very unfortunate that the weather prevented the party climbing 

 another 200 feet to see the plantations at close quarters, for 

 they promised to be an interesting study. A drive over the 

 hill road brought the party to Pitlochry by way of Moulin. 



DUNKELD. 



The third day was spent in the Duke of Atholl's woods at 

 Dunkeld. The Duke came specially from London on the 

 previous night in order to meet the Society and personally 

 conduct them. The principal interest at Dunkeld is the study 

 of the larches and their treatment. It is generally believed 

 that the first European larches in Scotland were those planted 

 at Dunkeld and Blair by the Duke of Athole in 1738, though 

 some claim the honour for other estates. But this matters little 

 in comparison with the undisputed fact that the Dukes of 

 Athole were the first to realise the possibilities of the larch as a 

 profitable commercial species and to study its requirements and 

 ailments systematically. John, fourth duke, was the greatest 

 forester of those early days, and his writings show that he must 

 have had a sound business head as well as a keen forester's 

 eye, for his original theories on the uses and value of larch 

 timber and on the methods of growing it and dealing with the 

 canker disease have been fully justified by subsequent experi- 

 ence. All interested in larch production should consult the 

 " Plantin' Duke's" own memoirs, or even the article on them by 

 John Booth which appeared in the Transactions of this Society, 

 vol. xvii. p. 232. 



The tour began at the Duke's nursery at Ladywell which won 

 the Society's Gold Medal in 192 1. Nature has greatly favoured 

 this site for a nursery, for it lies in what appears to have been a 



