1885. J LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 189 



this great pruning mystery ? Mr. Sutherland prefers to regard 

 sculpture as the forester's pattern art — must foresters, therefore, 

 study sculpture ? I am aware that these may be figures of speech ; 

 but if Mr. Sutherland may exalt such a form of expression as 

 " Nature pruning " into a " school," may we not confer a similar 

 dignity on his forms of expressions ? The writer mentions three 

 different " schools " of pruners, from all of which he himself differs 

 — is he at the head of a fourth " school " ? If so, the progress of 

 forestry in this country will be inversely as tlie " attendances." 



Thomas Wilson. 



EDiNBtTRGH, \1th June 1885. 

 [Our correspondent is perhaps a shade too hypercritical. Work- 

 ing foresters, we have noticed lately, appear to have a strange aver- 

 sion to the term school, let it be used in any of its meanings. 

 Perhaps early recollections of the rigid discii^line that used to cha- 

 racterize the Scottish parish schools may partly account for this. 

 We admit the letter in e^'idence of our desire to ventilate every side 

 of a question when this is done in a temperate manner. We by 

 no means homologate every opinion of our contributors. By all 

 means let us have a discussion on pruning in which correspondents 

 will grapple with the question. Perhaps Mr. Wilson will detail the 

 evil effects of " Xature pruning " ? — Ed.] 



ABBOPdCVLTUEE ROUXD WEST C ALDER. 



SIPi, — Having recently had occasion to make a gig journey on the 

 Edinburgh and Lanark road which skirts the barren uplands 

 westward of this village, well known now even in England through 

 political associations, I made notes. An arborist's journey in the 

 high western moorlands of the valley through which the line of the 

 Caledonian Piailway runs betwixt Edinburgh and Glasgow reminds 

 the passing traveller of Dr. Johnson's celebrated Scottish journey in 

 search of a tree. Beyond AVoodmuir Colliery, a belt of firs is so 

 diminutive as to suggest Japanese pruning, did not sulphurous 

 vapours from the adjoining coke ovens, as well as from the high 

 stalks of Addiewell down in the valley, indicate the cause. On 

 descending the steep sloping road leading from the Eorth downwards 

 to Carstairs, and girded to the east by a narrow belt of plantation, 

 we observed in it a multitude of trees either split through the centre 

 or prostrated from their roots upwards, apparently the results of 

 periodic gales. Why are shelter belts planted in so narrow strips ? 

 Might not the appropriation of larger areas for protection form a 

 suitable subject for discussion in your columns ? — I am, etc., 



T. W. P. 



