FOREST TREES. 195 
steep slopes, bleak, barren hills, or rough, broken 
lands of little value for any other purpose than timber 
growing, on which the Larch would thrive. Much 
of the land planted by the Duke of Athol, was, at the 
time of planting, worth not more than one shilling 
per acre. When thirty years old, the trees were 
thinned to four hundred per acre. The average value 
of the Duke’s plantations, the age ranging from 
thirty to seventy-two years, was upwards of one thou- 
sand pounds sterling per acre. 
Probably one of the worst soils for the Larch in 
the West, would be low, flat land largely composed 
of vegetable mould, with a retentive subsoil. Such 
are some of the prairie lands. 
In the extensive plantations of Scotland, strong 
plants of Larch, two years old, and one year trans- 
planted are principally used. Ground sufficiently 
level for tillage should be prepared and marked out 
in rows four feet apart; in which the plants may be 
set three or four feet distant. At three feet, three 
thousand six hundred plants will be required for an 
acre. In planting, the earth should be pressed firmly 
over the roots. Lands too steep or rough for the use 
of the plough, or declivities where loosening the soil 
would render it liable to be washed away by rains, 
may be planted without regard to regularity, further 
than to place the plants at a proper distance from 
each’ other. In such situations a spade or garden 
trowel may be used in planting. In Scotland a tool 
not unlike that used by nurserymen, in setting root 
grafts, is employed for that purpose. With this a 
