In the Scottish Arb. Soc. Trans., viii. 233, J. Hutton states that at Keppoch, in Inverness-shire, there were in 1878, 124 larch trees, said to have been brought home as two-year seedlings by Ranald Macdonald of Keppoch in 1753. They grew on an area of about eight acres, and had an average height of about go feet, and were then estimated to contain altogether 18,848 cubic feet of timber. The two largest, close to the banks of the Roy, were 108 feet by 12 feet 2 inches, contents 355 feet, and 86 feet by 14 feet 7 inches, contents 358 feet; and he mentions that upwards of forty similar trees were blown down in 1860, so that the timber on this area would have exceeded 3000 feet per acre. This property now belongs to the Mackintosh of Mackintosh, whose forester, Mr. A. Rose, tells me that at the present time there are only seventy-seven trees left, of which twenty-five are small ones which have suffered from various causes ; the remaining fifty-two are fine trees with an average content of 120 feet, making, together with the smaller ones, only 7192 cubic feet in all. The largest now standing, which is about twenty-five yards from the banks of the Spean, is 74 feet by 18 feet 6 inches at 3 feet from the ground, and contains 395 cubic feet. The tallest is 108 feet by 11 feet 2 inches. The two largest in 1878 have both been since cut on account of decay, but the rings counted on the stump were 123 and 131 only, which does not agree with their reputed history.
There are very tall and large larches at Brahan Castle and elsewhere in East Ross, one of which was reported by Mr. Pitcaithley* as being 115 feet by 11 feet. Mr. Munro-Ferguson tells me that a very large larch was recently felled on his property at Novar; and his factor, Mr. Meiklejohn, sends me the following measure- ments:—at 5 feet from the ground 12 feet 8 inches, at 25 feet 10 feet, at 40 feet 9 feet 4 inches. The cubic contents of the trunk were 4oo feet, and the branches probably contained 50 more.
The highest elevation which I found recorded for the larch in Scotland is in the Ballochbuie forest, where three larches of great size were reported, in 1860, to be in a sound condition at 117 years old and 1110 feet above the sea.
Michie’ gives a long account of some fine larches growing in the Paradise at Monymusk, in Aberdeenshire, with details of their measurements; the largest in 1881 was 100 feet by 10 feet 5 inches at 20 feet from the ground, and was supposed to contain 416 cubic feet.
A remarkable instance of the manner in which the roots of the larch may continue to grow after the tree has been cut is described and figured in Gardeners’ Chronicle* from a specimen submitted by the late Mr. Webster, head gardener at Gordon Castle. The figure shows the felled stump, rotten in the centre, and with the new wood surging over the edges of the wound, and also two roots of the foster tree, inosculating by means of various branches with those of the stump.
The larch has been extensively planted in Ireland, and has given, when grown on ordinary soils, excellent results, as it has usually remained free from disease. As an instance of good growth, Mr. Mitchell, land-agent at Doneraile and an experienced forester, told Henry that many trees cut in 1891 in a plantation on the Kilworth
1 Trans. Scot. Arb. Soc. xi. 505.
The Larch (1885).
3 Op. cit. 31st Aug. 1872, p. 1161.
