EEMAEKABLE TEEES. 20 3 



healthy, and, in the -writer's opinion, will continue to 

 grow when those at Dunkeld have ceased. In 1867 

 thev girthed respectively, at three feet from the ground, 

 I 2 feet 9 inches ; 1 1 feet 6 J inches ; i o feet i o 

 inches ; i o feet 8 inches ; i o feet ; and i o feet 8 

 inches. The average contents of the whole, about 180 

 cubic feet of measurable timber. One reason, and 

 probably the principal one, why the larches at Blair 

 are smaller and less handsome than those at Dunkeld, 

 is in consequence of the severe exposure, having all 

 several times lost their tops, and from time to time 

 had large limbs ruthlessly broken off by storm and 

 tempest. They are also much bent and crooked, showing 

 unmistakable signs of adversity, contest, and struggle. 

 There are many other trees about Blair in Athole and 

 Dunkeld well worthy of description, whose ages vary 

 from 120 to 130 years, and contain upwards of 200 

 cubic feet of the very best quality of timber. 



Two of the five larches planted at Monzie Castle in 

 Perthshire have attained an immense size and perfec- 

 tion, as shown in the annexed illustration. 



Mr. William Blackadder, writing in 1 8 3 I , says : 

 " Being near Crieff, I went to see the celebrated larches 

 at Monzie, said to have been planted about the same 

 time as those at Dunkeld. There are five of them 

 growing near together in a shrubbery or old garden 

 close by the mansion, three of which are noble trees. 

 My time did not permit me to measure them accurately, 

 but from some observations made with the sextant, 

 they appear to range from 200 to 250 cubic feet, 



