AT ONCE ON BEING SPREAD, 43 



have been covered with dung always raise larger crops, the reason 

 being the retention of the moisture, the regulation of the tempera- 

 ture, and that the decomposition of the manure is allowed to go 

 on without interruption. I have always observed that where 

 land has been covered during winter with anything, even with 

 stones, it raises a larger crop than that wliich has been exposed to 

 the weather. 



In conclusion, I would recommend that the manure should be 

 spread immediately on its being carted on to the field, and not 

 allowed to lie in heajos for weeks before it is spread, which is too 

 common, and a very bad practice. Every one conversant with 

 agriculture, who has paid attention to this, cannot fail to have 

 observed that the small spots on which the heaps have been lying 

 are much richer, and yield better for two or three succeeding 

 crops, the reason being that the action of the weather carries 

 down the main substance of the manure into the small parts of 

 the field on which it is heaped, and diminishes to a considerable 

 extent the manure which is to be spread over the greater bulk 

 of the field. Wlien it is inconvenient for this system to be 

 carried out, I would recommend that the manure should rather 

 be left in the dunghill on the field, than be put out in heaps, 

 until both the carting out and spreading can be carried on at 

 once, which will be found to be much more beneficial to the land 

 and profitable to the farmer. 



ON THE OLD AND REMAEKABLE SPANISH CHESTNUTS 

 {GASTANEA VESGA) IN SCOTLAND. 



By Robert Hutchison of Carlowrie, Kirkliston. 



[Premium — The Gold Medal.l 



An accurate, and therefore reliable catalogue and account of the 

 trees in any country, remarkable for their age, beauty, dimen- 

 sions, or historical associations, would, to the enthusiastic tree- 

 lover and arboriculturist, be not only deeply interesting and 

 instructive, but would be useful also, as forming a census, as it 

 were, of the individual specimens of each species of greatest note 

 in the various districts, and would afford most interesting 

 material in future years for the comparison of the progress or 

 decline, the increase in bulk of timber, or of height, in different 

 localities and soils, and under different climatic circumstances of 

 the respective trees themselves, thus tabulated and recorded. 



But while such a catalogue and description of the old and 

 remarkable trees of Scotland would not fail to be of deep interest 

 and utility to proprietors and foresters generally, and would 



