THE FAILURES OF THE LARCH. 67 



absence of the latter, the former prevailed to such an extent that 

 many plantations had to be abandoned before curatives were dis- 

 covered. 



In this country the larch bxig seems to have first attracted 

 notice in 1785, when it was observed in the plantations at Eaith, 

 in Fife, where it increased in an alarming manner in the three 

 dry, warm summers of 1800, 1801, and 1802; but from 1806 it 

 decreased, till by 1815 it had almost disappeared. Previous to 

 1795, it was noticed in the Athole forests, and then, and for eight 

 to ten years afterwards, it materially retarded the growth of the 

 larch, but thereafter became comparatively scarce and harmless. 

 Observing that it did not appear at higher altitudes than 600 feet, 

 the Duke of Athole transferred his planting of larch generally to 

 higher elevations. In 1779, James Webster, who acted as gar- 

 dener and forester at Munches for more than forty years, noticed 

 the larch blight in that south-western district of Scotland ; and 

 writing thirty-six years after, he stated that he had since watched 

 the disease carefully in all the plantations he was concerned with, 

 and in others, and was satisfied that trees so infested did not make 

 the progress in growth which those do that are not infected. And 

 going to one of the best nurseries of the district in 1834 to select 

 plants, he there discovered a number infected with the disease, 

 which he "advised the nurseryman to destroy, and he did so." 

 Turning now to the able comments on the diseases of the larch, 

 in the second volume of our Transactions (1863), by Mr M'Cor- 

 quoc ile, of Scone, it is therein stated that the ravages of the Aph is 

 disease were fearfully abundant among young larch plantations in 

 Scotland for the four years 1838-1842, but since then the insects 

 had, comparatively speaking, ceased. This irregularly alternating 

 great increase and decrease in the larch bug is in unison with the 

 habits of many other plant insects, and although pretty correct 

 ideas may be formed as to some of the causes, we are still quite in 

 the dark as to others. Here, then, is much scope for investigation. 

 And I fear that this disappearance or diminution of the larch bug 

 noticed by Mr M'Corquodale, must only have been local, as during 

 the period assigned for it, I found it injuriously prevalent in Mid- 

 lothian, where I then resided, as well as throughout the lower 

 parts of Lanarkshire and elsewhere. And that it has again 

 returned to Perthshire in unwelcome abundance, is evident to 

 passengers along the Highland Railway, where to practised eyes 

 its abounding presence is observable in the adjoining plantations ; 



