SITUATIONS. 23 



licient for the purpose of constructing ships 

 of magnitude, requires a soil and situation 

 which may generally be applied to the uses 

 of husbandry. 



" Happy, therefore, is it for this island, to 

 possess two trees, opposite in their natures, 

 yet equally, perhaps, capable of affording 

 protection to its political independence: and, 

 towards securing so valuable a blessing, both 

 of them ought to be reared and trained with 

 unremitting solicitude." 



He farther observes of this tree, (page 178) 

 " A striking proof of the superiority of the 

 Larch, in water-works, occurred on the estate 

 of Athol. A weir, or river dam, which, while 

 constructed of Oak, required to be renewed 

 or repaired every four or five years, was 

 formed with Larch, and, in 1792,* had stood 

 nine or ten years ; the timber then remain- 

 ing in a sound, firm state." And below he 

 says, "In 1792, his Grace the Duke of 

 Athol (we speak from the highest authority) 

 was possessed of a thousand Larch trees, then 

 growing on his estates of Dunkeld and Blair 



* On the 6th May 1798, I visited this dam ; it exhi- 

 bited no signs of decay at that time. 



C 



