Male. 



Duke of A thole ; and his gardener, with the best 



intentions, treated them as hothouse 



plants, which speedily brought them 



to such a dying condition that 



they were thrown away upon a 



rubbish heap. Hardly had they 



taken up this ignominious station 



when they revived and began to 



grow. When I visited Dunkeld 



many years ago the guide pointed 



out with pride two magnificent 



larches, which were the aforesaid 



specimens now flourishing under 



favourable conditions. 



The larch is a native of the Alps, 

 and the roofs of the picturesque 

 chalets in Switzerland are covered 

 with shingles cut from this tree, 

 the turpentine which exudes from 

 the wood, tending to make these 

 roofs impenetrable to rain. 



No one can fail to be struck 

 with the curious catkins on the 

 beech. The female blossom, which 

 will become the beech-nut, is seated 

 on the spray, whilst the male 

 catkins hang down in clusters, 

 shedding out their pollen upon every 

 passing breeze. 



The beech tree usually flowers 

 every alternate year, so that possibly 

 we may light upon a tree with 

 leaf-buds only, and must then search further for 

 another specimen bearing its catkins. 



female. 



LARCH 

 BLOSSOM. 



