MA.KITIME SITUATIONS. 79 



way the less valuable class provides shelter for their more 

 profitable neighbours. 



In every case it will be found to be judicious to plant thickly, 

 with the view of shelter, and to thin early, for the purpose of 

 maintaining and bringing up the trees in a healthy and hardy 

 state, and so that they may not be drawn up, but take girth 

 along with their height. 



ON THE SOILS AND SUBSOILS SUITED FOR PLANTING. 



By William Gilchrist, Cluny Castle, Aberdeen. 

 [Premmm — Five Sovereigns.] 



As a general rule, soils and subsoils that are considered suit- 

 able for growing the various species of forest trees are those that 

 are unsuitable 'for agricultural purposes, consequently trees are 

 often planted in soils and sulisoils quite uncongenial for their 

 growth and development. Although there is no doubt that soil 

 and subsoil exercise a considerable influence on the development 

 of trees it is not altogether paramount, as, however suitable they 

 may be, if the exposure is too severe, or the altitude too high, the 

 trees will not succeed. Altitude and exposure must, therefore, 

 be taken in connection with soil and subsoil, as suited for tlie 

 growth of timber trees. Altitudes are generally described as low, 

 medium, and high — low being under 350 feet, medium from 350 

 to 800 feet, and high from 800 feet upward. 



In describing the difterent soils and subsoils we lay no claim 

 to a scientific knowledge of the subject, but simply base our 

 report on practical experience and observation. Relying on this 

 basis, the chief difficulty is to get examples alike in every respect, 

 as almost every situation has some local peculiarity that, in some 

 way or other, tends to stimulate the growth of trees. In some 

 parts of the country the soils are so variable that it is often diffi- 

 cult, without a chemical analysis, to distinguish between peat 

 and loam, the one running so much into the other ; and there is 

 no doubt that many of the inaccurate statements, regarding the 

 suitableness of certain soils and subsoils for the development of 

 forest trees, may be traced to this cause. 



1. Peat. — This is generally understood to be the natural accu- 

 mulation of vegetable matter on the surface of waste lands, and 

 is always more or less saturated with water. Considered as suit- 

 able for the growth of wood, it must be divided into two distinct 

 classes — first, the natural accumulation of wooded vegetable 

 matter ; and second, the natural accumulation of succulent vege- 

 table matter. Tlie former of these is generally suitable for grow- 



