SOILS AXD SITUATIOXS. 29 



its young state, it is yet the hardiest of our forest 

 trees, and will not only grow, but flourish in certain soils, 

 and at altitudes where other trees would degenerate. 



The Hill of Torlum on Drummond Castle estate, 

 in Perthshire, is 1260 feet above the level of the sea, 

 and though affirmed to be the highest wooded hill in 

 Scotland, it yet bears a crop of splendid larch to the 

 extreme summit. The base of the hill consists prin- 

 cipally of Scots pine and Xorway spruce, which grow 

 very well, but the larch alone luxuriates on the higher 

 altitudes, growing luxuriantly at the extreme summit. 

 The plantation was formed between 1785 and 1800 

 by the Lord Perth of that day, and the trees are thus 

 between 81 and 96 years old. Many of the larches 

 girth from i o to 12 feet at one foot from the ground, 

 and 7 to 9 feet at 5 feet from the ground ; are well- 

 grown, fine quality of timber, many of them reaching 

 from 80 to 100 feet in height, and are in general 

 quite sound, healthy, and vigorous. 



A very remarkable example of the hardiness and 

 tenacity of life of the larch came under my notice here 

 the other day. On a plateau of deep moss (peat soil) 

 some trees were being cut, and amongst others a larch, 

 which, on being sawn at the sawmill, showed that 

 during the first y6 years of its growth it had only 

 made 4 J inches diameter of wood and attained 28 

 feet in height. This slowness of growth was the 

 result of other trees surrounding and confining it 

 during the first yG years of its life. After that time 

 the adjacent trees had been cut down, and the small 



