216 THE LARCH. 
than two years in nursery lines without being transplanted. 
At that age they commonly stand from 2 to 2} feet high, a 
height which is suitable for the roughest description of forest 
ground. 
Sometimes two-year-old seedlings aresput into nursery lines, 
and nursed for two years, when they generally attain the 
height of three feet. In forest planting the tree does not 
appear to be well adapted for removal beyond this age and 
size without being put back by the operation. Notwithstand- 
ing its being deciduous, no plants can be employed so success- 
fully as healthy larches closely planted to subdue and extirpate 
a rough cover of herbage. The quality of nursery plants 
varies exceedingly. The usual prices for larches of the best 
description are—- 
One-year seedlings, . : 1s. 6d. to 2s. per 1000. 
Two-year seedlings, . ‘ 3s. Od. to 4s. Pa 
One-year transplanted, . 5s. Od. to 6s. PS 
Two-year transplanted, . 8s. Od. to 12s. +3 
Protracted drought during the months of May and June 
sometimes proves fatal to the larch crop, but a scarcity of 
stood ; the holes were made to the average depth of about four inches. A 
deep cut or incision was also made with a spade along some of the alleys three 
or four inches wide at the surface, with the view of intercepting the progress 
of the enemy. On visiting the ground on Sunday morning the spave was 
black with crows—a place where they were not usually seen, and never since 
at one time have I seen so many within the grounds. While they betook 
themselves to some trees in the neighbourhood, without disturbing them long, 
I saw the holes were generally empty, but some of them I found to contain two, 
and some three grubs. This operation had the desired effect, and no further 
injury was observable by the larve that season. The assistance of crows was 
unexpected, as they had not frequented the place previously. My idea was 
that the holes would form the earth somewhat compact in the bottom, so that 
the grub when entrapped would be unable to escape, at least for some time, 
and that by a second application of the dibble into the same holes, they 
would be destroyed or sunk, so as to render them harmless for the future ; 
this second operation, however, was found quite unnecessary. I need hardly 
state that ever since I have avoided laying down larch, or any of the fir or pine 
tribe, after a grass crop. Nevertheless, occasionally, and during the last two 
summers in particular, grubs were sometimes detected in the ground by 
the people weeding the one-year seedling crops, and small blanks here and 
there indicate the place of their abode, when a few dibble holes around the 
spot is found a sure remedy against further ravages. 
