I. 4. THE LARCH. 93 
acres, six hundred of which were planted entirely, though 
thinly, with larch. These took eight hundred thousand plants. 
“Observing with satisfaction and admiration the luxuriant 
growth of the larch in all situations, and its hardihood, even in 
the most exposed regions, the duke resolved on pushing entire 
larch plantations still farther, to the summit of the highest 
hills.’ He therefore determined to cover with larch sixteen 
hundred Scotch acres, ‘‘situated from nine hundred to twelve 
hundred feet above the level of the sea. Its soil, presenting 
the most barren aspect, was strewed over thickly with frag- 
ments of rock, and vegetation of any kind scarcely existed upon 
it.” “To endeavor to grow ship-timber,’”’ writes the duke, 
‘among rocks and shivered fragments of schist, such as I have 
described, would have appeared to a stranger extreme folly, and 
money thrown away; but, in the year 1800, I had for more 
than twenty-five years so watched and admired the hardihood 
and the strong vegetative powers of the larch, in many situa- 
tions as barren and as rugged as any part of this range, though 
not so elevated, as quite satisfied me that I ought, having so 
fair an opportunity, to seize it.” 
These, with four hundred acres more, occupied from 1800 to 
1815. ‘Having now no doubt whatever of the successful 
erowth of the larch in very elevated situations, the duke still 
farther pursued his object of covering al/ his mountainous re- 
gions with that valuable wood. Accordingly, a space to the 
northward of the one last described, containing two thousand 
nine hundred and fifty-nine Scotch acres, was immediately en- 
closed, and planted entirely with larch. This tract, lying gen- 
erally above the region of broom, furze, juniper, and long heath, 
required no artificial clearing. An improved mode of planting 
was employed here, that of using young plants only, two or 
three years’ seedlings, put into the ground by means of an in- 
strument invented by the duke, instead of the common spade.” 
In 1824, the growth of the larch in this last tract, called “ Loch 
Ordie Forest, having greatly exceeded the sanguine hopes and 
expectations of the duke, he determined on adding to it an ex- 
tensive adjoining tract, consisting of two thousand two hundred 
and thirty-one Scotch acres, denominated Loch Hoishnie. The 
