HARDY CONIFEROUS TREES 97 



specimen of larch in existence. Brought from 

 the Tyrol by Mr. Menzies of Culdees with a few 

 other specimens, this tree, with another, was 

 planted at the west end of Dunkeld Cathedral in 

 1738. Five of the trees he left at Dunkeld, and 

 eleven at Blair Atholl, for Duke James, the grand- 

 father of '' The Planting Duke," as he was 

 familiarly called. Two of the five at Dunkeld 

 were felled by Duke John in 1809, and one had been 

 cut down by mistake about twenty years before. 

 Of the two felled in 1809 one contained 147 cubic 

 feet of timber, the other contained 168 cubic 

 feet. Though originally treated as greenhouse 

 plants, the trees proved so hardy as to be long 

 recognised the best and largest specimens that 

 exist, although they are closely approached by 

 those grown at Monzie, near Crieff. In 1888 the 

 measurements of both were taken and recorded on 

 boards placed at the foot of each tree. The record 

 of the larger of the two, which has just been cut 

 down, is as follows : 



After the tree was cut down the measurements 

 were found to be practically the same as twenty 

 years ago. The tree, which was struck by light- 

 ning two years ago, was allowed to stand to see 



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