24 REPOET OF THE AGRICULTURE OF AYRSHIRE. 



rnarnock, tenanted by Mr. James Brown, and two of beech, some 

 3 miles in length, due north from Sorn Castle gates on the 

 Galston road. These, each of their kind, could not be matched 

 in the kingdom ; although there are many other cases about 

 equally as good in the county. 



Most of the present woodland of Ayrshire was planted 

 towards the end of last century and beginning of this, consisting 

 chiefly of Larch and Scots Fir, but having generally hardwood 

 trees intermixed — Beech, Ash, and Elm, predominating. In 

 many parts of Kyle and Cunningham, are miles of road closely 

 set on each side with lar< r e umbrageous beeches, forming most 

 delightful over-arching avenues. Oaks do not seem to have 

 been much thought of by Ayrshire planters in days of yore, 

 although there are now some very fine plantations of young oak 

 — from 30 to 50 years — throughout the county, and specially on 

 the Cessnock and other estates of the Portland family. The 

 present inheritors now and for years back are reaping the bene- 

 ficial effects of this wise foresight on the part of their ancestors, 

 in annual sales of valuable timber, and' thus making room for 

 further planting. Great part of the old Larch has been cut 

 down years ago for railway sleepers, but the ground was almost 

 always replanted. There are thousands of acres yet in Ayrshire, 

 chiefly in the upland and moorland districts, where shelter for 

 the sheep, and cattle, and crops, is in many places much needed, 

 on which a better paying crop than wood could not be put. Acres 

 that the writer has seen being cut down for some time back, 

 yielded sums corresponding to an annual rental of from £4 to 

 £5 ; and the same land, if let for ordinary purposes, would not 

 have brought as many shillings in some cases, and not more than 

 from 15s to 20s per acre in even the best. A large demand 

 exists for colliery prop-wood, and even the thinnings are thus 

 valuable. Most of the wood is planted in judiciously placed 

 clumps and belts as shelter on the more exposed grounds ; and 

 for useful works of this kind executed, say between 1830 and 

 1850, the names of the late Earl of Eglinton, the late Duke of 

 Portland, the late Mrs Sommervell of Sorn Castle, and the late 

 Mr. Nicol Brown, and present Mr. Thomas Brown of Lanfine, are 

 specially deserving of notice. During the last 10 or 12 years, the 

 proprietors generally have been planting to a greater degree than 

 for many years previous, and by much the most extensive opera- 

 tion in that line at present, is on the Dumfries Estate, in the Cum- 

 nocks, belonging to the youthful and accomplished Marquis of 

 Bute. Some 500 acres have been planted of late on the Dumfries 

 estate, and there are still from 800 to 900 acres of land laid off 

 to fill up. Few larch are now planted in comparison with Scots 

 Fir and Spruce, and about ten of these to one of hardwood, will 

 be about the proportions put in. Ayrshire, in whole, is probably 



