1885.] ROSS-SHIRE FORESTRY. 410 



about 750 acres of wood ranging from 8 to 60 years old, and 

 situated at altitudes varying from 150 to 1000 feet above sea-level, 

 is £95, 10s., or at the rate of over 2s. G^d. per acre ! 



Mr. Iiobertson's second remark is also a question of acreage upon 

 which of course he could have given more precise information if he 

 chose at the time ! My informant gave it as stated, which, looking 

 at the Tindulating nature of the ground, I thought approximate. 



liegarding the next statement about the kinds and comparative 

 sizes of the different trees near Xewton, I regret if I have inad- 

 vertently confounded the exact boundaries of the Balconie property 

 witli the fields of Newton, and also that I omitted to make special 

 note of the hollies in which Mr. Eobertson takes such a just pride ! 

 After speaking of the splendid growth of the larch and fir and 

 the " large-sized hardwoods," I mention that " Novar House stands 

 among a few ornamental trees and some more hardwoods." Mr. 

 l\obertson finds fault with me here for not specially designating the 

 hardwoods, and many fine old larch and fir as " ornamental." I need 

 merely state that I used tlie term as it surely should be applied to 

 trees, viz. those introduced for purposes of decoration, and not with 

 the view of profitable timber-rearing as a whole ! Of these there 

 are at Xovar, as Mr. Eobertson asserts, cedars, Wellingtonias, Picea 

 })insapo, Abies Meuziesii, Cryptomeria Lobii, etc. It must be very 

 gratifying to Mr. Eobertson to be able to give such measurements 

 as he next quotes. 



My report states that I " understand that seed has been collected 

 in the Novar woods, but that it is not tlie custom on this estate to 

 grow home seedlings." I was told this while standing in the 

 Assynt nursery, and it is another point upon which jNIr. Eobertson 

 could have given correct information. Mr. Eobertson's experience 

 of the best age of fir tree to grow from is interesting ! 



Mr. Eobertson next disputes my estimate of the acreage planted 

 within the last 80 years, and now comes forward with the informa- 

 tion that in that period several hundred acres more have really been 

 planted. 



The only way in which I can account for my statement that a 

 " plantation has been formed below Menocrock " being wrong is, that 

 the plantation I passed through is situated under a continuation 

 of ]\Ienocrock, which goes by a different name. These names are 

 of course merely local, and I cannot accept responsibility for the 

 boundaries indicated by them, as they are easily convertible according 

 to convenience. 



A reference to my report is all that is required to correct Mr. 

 Eobertson's next remarks, as he has evidently misunderstood what I 

 said. It will then be seen that I praise the larches in Dhalgheal 



