Causes of Disease in the Larch. 575 



twenty men to plant an acre in a day ; v.'hereas two men will do 

 the same work (plant the same space of ground) in the same 

 time, with the spear mode of planting. Another fault of the pit 

 is, its aptitude to collect rain water or melted snow, by which 

 the roots of the plants become chilled : three and four years 

 transplanted plants " may be so chilled in this manner as to 

 prevent their pushing out a shoot, 2 in. in one season, for several 

 years." Be it so : and were not all the larches that were planted 

 about Dunkeld, previously to 1774, of the above description, and 

 treated in the same manner ? (See p. 171 — 1 73.) And how stand 

 they, compared with such as have been planted since that period? 

 Among the latter, disease has commenced "in many situations;" 

 vi'hile the former are the boast, not only of the county, but of the 

 island in which they grow. 



It is worthy of remark, that few or none of the early planted 

 specimens of larch have been found to decay, although planted 

 on soils of the most opposite natures. Within sixteen miles of 

 Brechin, there are three trees which, although not very handsome, 

 in consequence of their being much exposed to the blast, are, 

 nevertheless, in a thriving condition, growing in a very dry si- 

 tuation ; one of which has attained a good size. At Brechin Castle, 

 in a rich deep lawn, there w^as a fine specimen cut down some 

 twenty years ago ; a thin slice from the root end of which forms a 

 rustic seat by one of the private walks, and shows the diameter to 

 have been 4- ft. There are, or, at least, there were, two, or, as re- 

 ports say, three, at Scone House, in a similar soil to that of those 

 at Brechin Castle ; and I believe that there are others to be met 

 with in various parts of the country % but in no instance that I am 

 aware of have any of the original larches, which have been cut 

 down, been found unsound in the heart-wood. I may be told that 

 the first specimens of larch would be planted, as a matter of course, 

 on the best soil which the planter could find; and this is, no doubt, 

 true ; and it appears to have been the case at some of the places 

 here mentioned; but it appears, in p. 161. of the Qiiarterly 

 Journal of Agriculture for Sept. 1833, that His Grace the Duke 

 of Athol planted five larches in the lawn at Dunkeld, in an allu- 

 vial gravelly soil, abounding with round stones, two of which are 

 still growing in great vigour ; and that one is 1 1 ft., the other 

 12 ft., in girth, at 4 ft. from the ground. Of the other three, two 

 were cut in 1809, one of which contained no less than 168 cubic 

 feet of timber. Here is a startling fact, indeed, for those who 

 contend that the cause of the rot in larch is an uncongenial soil. 

 Here, upon an alluvial gravelly soil, abounding with round stones, 

 possibly at one time the bed of the river, may be seen these 

 gigantic patriarchs of the tribe, growing with great vigour, and, 

 as it were, frowning defiance to the supposed disadvantages of 

 their particular locality. 



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