PEOPAGATION IX THE NUESERY. 57 



and if injured in the former, tliey are still more likely 

 to be, and seriously so, in the latter. But should the 

 plants be fortunate enough to escape altogether the 

 injuries of the nursery, they seldom or never escape 

 undue crowding in the forest. By these means many 

 serious evils are entailed ; and indeed when one reflects 

 upon the unnatural and hurtful treatment the tree 

 sustains at almost every stage of growth, the marvel is 

 that it succeeds so well as it does. 



The prices of larch plants have varied very consi- 

 derably from the time of its first introduction into this 

 country. What the first plants actually cost I have 

 had no means of knowing, but the first plants purchased 

 by His Grace the Duke of Athole cost sixpence each, 

 nor is it stated that any ever cost more. As soon as 

 the trees began to bear seed in this country the 

 plants became plentiful, and they no doubt became 

 correspondingly cheaper, till two-year seedlings, one 

 year transplanted, ultimately fell to about 12s. 6d. per 

 thousand, which has been the average price for the last 

 fifty years. The plants, we are told, were so scarce 

 that the Duke of Athole could only obtain, between the 

 years 1774 and 1783, the small quantity of 279,000 

 plants, and two years' transplanted, as above stated, 

 cost sixpence each. After 1780 the price fell to 35s. 

 per thousand. 



In 1843 the larch was at its lowest price known 

 in this country, owing to superabundance and want of 

 demand, and millions of nursery plants had to be 

 burned, findinfr no market. 



