188 LETTERS TO TEE EDITOR [Jclt 



I^ETTERS TO THE ^DITOR. 



FOEESmY AT XOVAH, J^OSS-SEIF.E. 



SIE, — Our soil, wliicli is a good yellowish loam resting on rocks 

 of the Old Eed Sandstone srstem, is unsuitable for the 

 oTowth of such hardwood trees as oak, elm, sycamore, etc., although 

 birch and beech in considerable quantity are flourishing on the 

 better portions of the soil. Larch planted on lands cleared years ago 

 flourishes, as does also the same tree planted on recently cleared 

 ground. 



On our younger plantation there is no appearance of aphis or 

 blister, and this gave us more encouragement to plant a sprinkling 

 of larch on the ground recently cleared. 



In some of our plantations about seventy years old, the larch is 

 afflicted with what is known in this locality as roi/. In my opinion, 

 this has been caused by want of being judiciously thinned when 

 about twenty to thirty years old. I generally find that the ro]/ is 

 in the wood formed between the twentieth and thirty-fifth ring, the 

 heart and the outside being perfectly sound ; and wherever a tree 

 with a fairish top is found, it is invariably sound ; and far less roy 

 is found on the slopes than on level ground. I account for this 

 because more of the foliage is exposed to the action of the 

 atmosphere on the slopes than on the level ground. "Where roi/ 

 most abounds, the trees are drawn up into long poles, very clean 

 and nice to look at, with a very limited top of leaves. — I am. 

 Sir, vours faithfullv, D. Eobektson. 



XovAE, EYA^"^o^', 15th June 1SS5. 



FRUXING QUEEIES. 



SIE, — On reading in your issue for June, Mr. Sutherland's paper 

 " On Pruning," some questions suggested themselves to me. 

 Is the timber of the best pruned trees, according to Mr. Sutherland's 

 views, superior to that of trees grown without the aid of man ? Is 

 the growing of timber trees an art that has something other than 

 Xature to imitate ? If so, what is that something ? Advocates 

 of pruning have made frequent reference to surgery — must surger}-, 

 therefore, be studied by the forester before he can fully understand 



