492 CONIFERS. 



the property at Blair and Dunkeld, from the time of its 

 introduction, amounted to the enormous number of four- 

 teen million ninety-six thousand seven hundred and nine- 

 teen plants, of which nearly thirteen millions were planted 

 without mixture, the remainder having been dispersed in 

 plantations of Pine, or in others of a mixed character. 



At the time the late Duke succeeded to the title, the 

 Larch, with the exception of the three experimental 

 acres, as we may call them, planted by his father, had 

 been mixed at distant intervals with Pines and other 

 forest trees, and mostly in sheltered situations, and at 

 a low elevation, or not more than five hundred feet 

 above the level of the sea, as the tree was at first sup- 

 posed to be of a more delicate constitution than the 

 Scotch Pine, which was sometimes carried as high as 

 nine hundred or one thousand feet up the mountain 

 slopes. The more rapid growth as well as the hardier 

 nature of the Larch did not, however, long escape the 

 notice of the Duke, and he accordingly began to lessen the 

 number of Pines, and increase that of the Larch, in his 

 plantations, pushing at the same time the latter tree to 

 higher elevations, where it was found to grow as vigor- 

 ously as in the lower sites, and soon to outstrip the Pine, 

 and become a tree where the latter remained a stunted 

 bush. In the account contained in the " Highland So- 

 ciety's Transactions,'" already referred to, it is stated, that 

 a plantation of Scotch Pines "planted at nine hundred 

 feet above the level of the sea, had the vacancies oc- 

 casioned by death or accidents filled up, ten years after, 

 with Larch, as an experiment. In 1800, when the Duke 

 was again anxious to extend his Larch plantations, the 

 effect of this experiment confirmed him in an opinion he 

 had previously conceived of the very hardy nature of the 



