1885.] THE SCOTTISH AliBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 3G1 



A QUERY ABOUT SQUIRIIELS. 



Mr. Fell read a letter from a gentleman whose trees had suffered 

 much from the teeth of those rodents, askiucf if there were any 

 means by whicli the trees might be protected without destroying the 

 squirrels. A member present stated that by strewing nuts and 

 otlier tempting edibles in the eyes of squirrels, on the adjacent 

 ground, he had secured a complete immunity from gnawing for his 

 growing timber. 



NOTES ON THE EXCURSION OF THE SCOTTISH 

 ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY, AUGUST Uli and 6th, 1885. 



FOLLOWING up the narrative of this given in last month's 

 journal, it may be interesting to have a little more detailed 

 account of the measurements of the trees than was then given. 



At Langholm Lodge, an oak at 5 ft. girthed 11 ft. 8 in,, stem 

 22 ft.; and a lime tree girthed 11 ft. 10 in., stem 45 ft.; the 

 height of this last by the Dendrometer was 90 ft. Of the orna- 

 mental trees we noticed some healthy Abertianas, the tallest being 

 about 18 ft. 



At Netherby we did not find any relics of the ancient forest, 

 " Nichol Forest," which forms part of this estate. This forest was 

 " granted " by James I. to George (Clifford), Earl of Cumberland, 

 and was subsequently bought by liichard Graham in the seventeenth 

 century. In connection with Netherby estate, it may be interesting 

 to quote an autlior, who thus describes the estate when it came into 

 the possession of Dr. Ikobei't Graham, from whose enterprise in tree- 

 planting Mr. Baty has already told us how great the benefits have 

 been to the property during his term of office. " The lands of 

 Netherby when he (Dr. Graham) became possessed of them were in 

 a state of nature, the people idle and bad," — this is the country 

 of the " debatable lands," where 



. . . . " the good old rule 

 Sufficeth tliem, the simple plan, 

 That they should take who have the power, 

 And they should keep who can," — 



" and still retaining a smack of the feudal manners, scarce a hedge 

 to be seen, and a total ignorance prevailed of even coal and lime. 

 His improving spirit soon wrought a great change in those parts, his 

 example instilled into tlie inliabitants an inclination to industry. 



