418 ROSS-SHIRE FORESTRY. [Nov. 



nOSS-SHIRE FORESTRY. 



I Is your July issue, I notice a few remarks by Mr. 1). Eobertson, 

 forester on the Novar estates in this county, on my reference 

 to the woods of that property in a general report, made by me to 

 the Highland and Agricultural Society in 1883, on the woods in 

 the counties of Eoss and Cromarty. Kindly permit me to furnish 

 readers of those remarks with a few particulars on the points they 

 refer to, in their order. 



Mr. Eobertson begins correcting my estimate of 2000 as the 

 acreage of Novar woods by stating that there are now 4000 acres 

 under wood ! What area has been planted since I visited the woods 

 in the summer of 1883, Mr. Eobertson does not say; but I submit 

 that on any property, especially on Xovar, where large tracts of wood 

 occur together, it is next to impossible to gauge the acreage approxi- 

 mately, therefore on this point I generally made inquiry of estate 

 officials, always with the exception of Novar receiving a ready reply ! 

 I think it is only right to explain here, that Mr. Eobertson was 

 duly made aware that some notice was to be taken of the Novar 

 woods, and further, that his reply to a request, made through a 

 friend of his own, to kindly give any such information as he thought 

 proper, was, that he (Mr. Eobertson) had not time to do so, and 

 besides did not think his employer would be pleased at him giving 

 any report whatever ! I do not complain of this, but surely it is 

 a little inconsistent of Mr. Eobertson to refuse information for a 

 public report, which he can now see fit to publish to the world in 

 the way he has done, and with no objection this time from the 

 employer ! Failing then to get Mr. Eobertson's assistance, and not 

 caring to inspect the woods unaccompanied' by any estate servant, I 

 engaged a man who, I was informed, had assisted in the planting, 

 cutting, and carting of wood on Novar for a number of years ! Two 

 thousand acres he considered a safe estimate of the acreage, which, 

 after due inspection of the woods, and an after reference to the 

 Valuation Eoll, I considered near the mark. 



The total sum there returned as the grazing value of Novar woods 

 is £92, 5s. This at say one shilling per acre, would only give 1845 

 acres as returned at all, and would leave my informant approxi- 

 mately correct at 2000 1 But Mr. Eobertson says there are 4000 

 acres of wood, which means that 4000 acres are returned at £92, 5s., 

 i.e. at the rate of 5 Jd. per acre. This being so, is b\^. not a very 

 inaccurate and low return of the ordinary grazing value of Novar 

 woods, even allowing something off for the great extent assessable ! 

 I may mention that on this estate the return made that year for 



