374 Arboretum Britdnnicwn. 



tion of the trees for the soil, and not the owner's partiality to the trees, 

 that is to be the guide. But a vigorous healthy tree or shrub of a more 

 homely species is, in my eye, infinitely to be preferred in a landscape 

 to a pining, sickly, stai'veling and diseased plant of a more recherche, 

 beautiful, and interestmg kind ; and the art of making a proper choice for 

 securing this desired effect is a grand result of the science which this 

 third department of your Arboretum Britannicum will teach, if you will 

 carefully investigate and publish the habitats of the several species with 

 reference not only to the incidental circumstances of cultivation or other 

 fortuitous influence.^, but to ils chemical and geological elections. I am, 

 Sir, &c. — Causidiciis. Dec, 8. 1830, 



Soil and Site for the Larch, Rot of the Larch, Sfc. — The rot in the larch 

 has been found to prevail in so many instances as to render it difficult to 

 account for the cause. It has been found to prevail on rich deep soils and 

 on poor shallow soils, on retentive and on porous subsoils, on soils in- 

 cumbent on freestone, limestone, and whin or green stone; and also, on all 

 these descj'iptions of soil and subsoil, the larch has been found tolerably 

 free from this hidden disease. This being the case, we are led to suppose 

 that the rot in huxh takes its rise from something accidental, rather than 

 from any natural property in the soil. It has been a common practice to 

 follaw a crop of Scots pine with this more lofty and promising plant ; and 

 the writer of this has recently discovered, in numerous instances, that 

 where this has taken place the rot uniformly commences in fearfully nume- 

 rous individual instances. This effect is produced as soon as seven or eight 

 3'ears after planting; while plantations of the same plant, on the same 

 estate, planted at the same period, and in every respect similarly cii-cum- 

 stanced to the other, with the important exception that they did not fol- 

 low the Scots pine, continue entirely free from the rot. In old plantations, 

 too, where the Scots pine and larch had been mixed together, and where 

 the disease was by no means prevalent, the new crop of larch is completely 

 affected ; giving room to infer that the rotting roots of the Pinus sylvestris, 

 or Scots pine, form at least one powerful agent in promoting this disease 

 Where, in such young plantations, the larches are not used merely as 

 nurses, they should be made to serve in that capacity to suitable hard- 

 wooded plants, without loss of time. I am, Sir, j'ours, &c. — Archibald 

 Gorrie. Annat Gardens, Feb. 10. 1831. 



Drawings jirocured of full-grown Trees would add much to the interest of 

 your Arboretum Britannicum, particularly exotics or foreigners from every 

 district in Scotland, England, and Ireland, in place of being confined to the 

 vicinity of London ; accompanied by a description of the soil, subsoil, lati- 

 tude, and elevation at which they grow, to be all drawn to a scale. This 

 would form a tangible sort of guide to all foresters and proprietors who 

 wished'to beautify their estates or improve their forests by the introduc- 

 tion of ^-eign species. It would show how far they might proceed with 

 safety under similar circumstances, and furnish data which have not hitherto 

 existed, by which the beauty and value of plantations might be estimated 

 in any part of the British Isles ; native and naturalised species might also 

 be included. One thing I know, had such a book existed about a twelve- 

 month ago, it would have saved me the honour of an extensive correspond- 

 ence with Professor Leslie on that subject last winter ; and I have known 

 many in a similar ignorant plight. On tiie estate where I resitle, the surface 

 is much diversified, ami altitude and exposure make a striking difference 

 in the size and apparent habits of native trees thereon. — G. Perthshire, 

 Feb. 1831. 



Varieties of British Trees. — When I was at Chatsworth, on the 20th of 

 October, 1830, I observed a variety of the common British oak, the leaves 

 of which were of the most beautiful dark green colour, without the least 

 aj)pearance of decay, while those of every other tree of the same species 



