CHAP. CXIII. CONI'FEIMS. LA^RIX. 2359 



awarding a premium to Mr. Thomas White, landscape-gardener, of Retford, 

 Nottinghamshire, who had made a large plantation of forest trees (more than 

 one half of which were larch) at Batsfield, in the county of Durham. {Trans. 

 Soc. Arts, vol. iv. p. 5.); and, in 1788, the Society of Arts offered three gold 

 medals, and a premium of 30/., for planting the larch, and making known the 

 useful properties of its timber. In consequence of the public attention being 

 thus called to the tree, it has been more extensively planted in Britain, 

 particularly since the commencement of the present century, than any other 

 timber tree whatever, not even excepting the oak. 



The introduction of the larch into Scotland is involved in some uncer- 

 tainty. The crooked larch at Dalwick (see p. 2356.) is said to have been 

 planted in 1725 ; but, according to Dr. Walker, whose attention to the 

 history of exotic trees in Scotland is well known, the first larches were 

 planted at Dunkeld in 1727. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder tells us that the 

 popular account is, that the first larches introduced into Scotland were sent 

 to the father of the late Duke of Athol in 1727 ; and the plants having arrived 

 at Dunkeld along with some orange trees, and a number of other exotics, 

 natives of Italy, they were all treated in the same way, and placed in a hot- 

 house. The larches soon withered under this treatment ; and, being supposed 

 to be dead, were thrown out on a heap of rubbish in the garden. Being 

 there covered with dead leaves and other rubbish, and aided by a wet season, 

 they revived, and, sending forth shoots, soon became vigorous-growing trees. 

 In the Highland Society's Transactions, vol. xi. p. 165., already mentioned, the 

 following account is given of the introduction of the larch into Scotland : — 

 " In the year 1738, Mr. Menzies of Migenny, in Gleniyon, brought a few 

 small plants of the larch in his portmanteau from London, five of which he 

 left at Dunkeld, and eleven at Blair in Athol, for Duke James," the grand- 

 father of the celebrated Duke of Athol already mentioned. It is probable 

 that this account, of which one version states that the servant of Mr. 

 Menzies carried the larches before him on his saddle, is quite incorrect ; 

 for we can hardly suppose that Dr. Walker would give the date of 1727 

 as that of the first planting of the larch at Dunkeld, without some positive 

 evidence of the fact. Whatever may be the exact date of the introduction of 

 the larch into Scotland, there can be no doubt that it was first extensively 

 planted in that country by the Dukes of Athol at Dunkeld and Blair; and 

 we shall here give a short account of these plantations to the reader, extracted 

 from that in the Highland Society's Transactions, before referred to : — " Be- 

 tween 1740 and 1750, Duke James planted 350 larches at Dunkeld, at an 

 elevation of 180 ft. above the level of the sea; and 873 at Blair, among lime- 

 stone gravel, in a sheltered situation, which was worth from 20«y. to 30,?. per 

 acre, at an elevation above the sea not exceeding 560 ft. All these larches 

 were planted in the ornamental grounds around Dunkeld House and Athol 

 House, the two residences of His Grace. So situated, and in regular rows wide 

 apart, they were evidently intended more as a trial of a new species of trees 

 than for forest timber. But, in 1759, Duke James planted 700 larches 

 over a space of 29 Scotch acres, intermixed with other kinds of forest trees, 

 with the view of trying the value of the larch as a timber tree. This planta- 

 tion extended up the face of a hill from 200 ft. to 400 ft. above the level of 

 the sea. The rocky ground of which it was composed was covered with 

 loose and crumbling masses of mica slate ; and was not worth above 31. 

 a year altogether. This may be considered the first attempt at mountain 

 planting in Scotland. According to the fashion of the time, the trees were 

 arranged in rows, and the rows converged towards a small piece of water 

 in the centre, like radii. This concluded the whole attempts at planting of 

 Duke James. Before he died, however, in January, 1764, he had tried the 

 quality of the larch as timber, and was quite satisfied of its superiority over 

 other firs, even in trees of only eighteen or nineteen years old." 



John Duke of Athol succeeded Duke James in 1764. " It was he who 

 first conceived the idea of planting larch by itself as a forest tree, and of 



