On the Native Forests of Aberdeenshire. 7 



deemed one of the most considerable of them, yet when offered for 

 sale a few years ago, after a survey, it was announced as contain- 

 ing a million and a half of cubic feet of wood. 



4. I consider it impracticable to return any complete answer to 

 the fourth question. Yet on this subject we may arrive at some 

 degree of probability. The informant to whom I have referred, in 

 tlie answer to the lirst query, states that he remarked, much to his 

 surprise at the time, that the Braemar forests were in the course 

 of extending themselves only eastward and down the courses of 

 the streams, all the young trees being in that direction ; and as he 

 saw no impediment to their extension westward, to some open 

 ground lower than many points covered with trees, and yet per- 

 ceived no young plants on that side, he was very inquisitive of the 

 natives and foresters with regard to what they might conceive the 

 cause of this, he himself conjecturing that it might be owing to 

 the prevailing power of the west wind to disperse the seeds east- 

 wardly. He learned in answer from one of the foresters that this 

 could not be the cause. This man was acquainted with some re- 

 mains of fir forests farther west, where the descent of the land and 

 course of the streams was towards the west sea, and there the 

 young trees were springing in that direction, in opposition to the 

 course of the west wind. In consistency with these facts, I have 

 learnt that the progress of the young trees of the Glentanner Fo- 

 rest, has been for a long time towards the east, both as to ground 

 at an equal elevation with the old trees, and to that at a lower 

 level. The planted fir- woods of this valley, (Alford,) where they 

 are old enough to perfect their seeds, are on all sides, when thejr 

 are bounded by uncultivated ground, margined by a vigorous growth 

 of young fir trees. All these facts show, that there is nothing in 

 the nature of the tree, or the soil of the particular localities, to 

 confine the fir to our present native forests ; and that it would 

 probably, in the course of a few ages, * if not checked by the ope- 

 rations of man, extend itself over a great part of the country. 



• Some years ago, when there existed an open moor, (since planted,) of seve- 

 ral hundred acres in the lower part of this valley, bounded on the west side by a 

 fir plantation producing seed, many acres near the plantation were so well fiUed 

 with native plants, as nearly to resemble newly planted ground. Some of the 

 young plants were found at three quarters of a mile from the old trees, and I 

 felt much difficulty at the time to conjecture by what means the seeds could be 

 so widely disseminated. They could not be driven by the wind over a surface 

 covered with heath, unless that were covered with snow ; and when the snow- 

 storm came from the quarter of the old plantation, as that formed a broad and 

 deep mass of trees, there was so much shelter on its lee side, that the snow re- 

 mained there undrifted, and covered up the fir cones with which the ground under 

 the fir-treeS was strewed. I have since observed that the rooks {Corvus Frugi- 

 legus) have the habit of carrying off the fir cones, in the open weather of winter 

 and spring, and burying them in any loose waste ground. "Whole rookeries may 

 be seen at times employed in this operation, which is probably connected with 

 their obtaining a supply of food from the seeds. Some persons with whom I am 

 acquainted, are aware of this habit of the rooks ; but it has not occurred to me 

 to see it stated in any publication. 



