ON IMPROVEMENTS ON THE ESTATE OF HALLHEAD. 275 



Messrs Cardno & Darling, in Aberdeen, were the seeds- 

 men who supplied the plants, and we have every reason to 

 believe that they were very fresh and wholesome. Part of 

 them were seedlings and part were transplanted. The difference 

 between the seedlings and the transplanted was not great at the 

 time of planting. The portions planted in November and 

 December came very fast forward the succeeding summer ; but 

 those planted in March and April made scarcely any progress 

 the first summer, and some of them died away altogether. But 

 the seedsmen have made up all the blemish. There are two 

 belts low down on the estate, principally for shelter ; the one 

 contains about 24, the other about 8 acres. The acreage 

 of these two belts are included in the 387 acres. The cost 

 of the plants and planting was L.7U7, which would make the 

 expense per imperial acre to be about 21s.; but the cost of 

 dykes, fencing the plantations where required, are not included. 

 There were small portions between the hill and the arable land 

 belonging to the tenants which did not require much fencing, 

 and a portion at the top of the hill, neighbouring Lord Aber- 

 deen's property, and the estate of Cushnie, was not fenced. 

 There were some portions of the plantations, where it came in 

 contact with fields for grazing cattle, where the fence required 

 to be double, stone dykes were built at 6d. per running yard, 

 the tenants driving in the stones, and the proprietor building 

 the dykes. Some old dykes required repairs, which were done 

 at small expense. The hill was all inclosed with feal sunk 

 fences, varying from 2|d. to 3f d. per yard ; some parts being 

 rocks, others very soft ; all four feet high. The following state- 

 ment is as near the cost as can be ascertained by the writer : — 



7,026 yards feal sunk fence, at 3d., L.87 16 6 



790 yards dykes repaired, at Id., 3 5 10 



2,580 double stone dykes, at 6d., 64 10 



L.155 12 4 

 Cost of plants and planting, . 707 



L.862 12 4 



The writer had all the contracts to let and the dykes to 

 measure. The expense of the fencing was larger in consequence 

 of a drove road passing through the hill, which required to be 

 fenced on both sides, and which was used by the Highland sheep 

 going from the Dee-side hills in autumn to their winter pasture 

 in the low lands of Banff and Aberdeenshires, and returning again 

 in spring, and occasionally through the whole year. There are 

 two large belts lower down, separate from the hill, intended 

 principally for shelter, which required to be inclosed, mostly 

 with double stone dykes, which made the expense of fencing 



