1886.] LETTERS TO THE El) I TOR. 700 



wliich means imperfectly — a thing to be carefully avoided in every- 

 thing connected with hedges, especially those on roadsides, whicli are 

 there quite as much for ornament as use. 



Fences generall}', again in spring, as in autumn, require to he 

 gone over, and properly repaired, for, as is well known, a weak and 

 comparatively poor fence will do so long as the animals against 

 them have not learned the practice of forcing through, while if once 

 they have found their way into the plantation, it requires an extra 

 strong fence to prevent them repeating it. 



All Idown, broken, and decaying trees, and also all unsightly 

 In'oken branches within sight of the walks, drives, and roads, should 

 be removed to their proper destination for other reasons besides 

 economy. 



Drains, which always suffer more or less from winter rains and 

 tioods, require to be gone over, and cleared of all accumulation of 

 leaves, branches, and other obstructions ; and all close drains, 

 culverts, and branches should have proper attention paid to them. 



Roads require very careful and close attention at all seasons, but 

 at no time more so than now. Filling tracks, levelling, and rolling 

 are works to be done at once, especially on unmetalled drives and 

 rides, where clay abounds. 



The squirrel, which still lingers amongst the larch cones, should 

 1)6 closely watched, and no opportunity of killing him be allowed to 

 escape. Different estates have different systems of killing and keep- 

 ing down this most destructive little creature ; ours is to pay the 

 gamekeepers 6d. each for all the tails they bring in. On some 

 estates where very numerous, 3d. each is sufficient to begin with, 

 and raise the premium as they grow scarcer. 



C. Y. MiCHIE. 

 Cn.r.EX House, IS^/t Fthruanj 1886. 



I^ETTERS TO THE ^DITOR. 



A EEMAllKABLE TREE—SYCAMORE OR PLANE. 



S\\\, — In the last issue of Forcdrij I observed notice taken of the 

 above tree, wdiich was cut recently on the estate of Woodend, 

 Madderty, and is said to be by far the finest of the kind in Perth- 

 shire. The bole measured 30 feet to the branch, and the full 

 length of the trunk was 3 8 feet. It had a girth of 9 feet measured 

 5 feet from the ground, and its average circumference was S\ feet. 

 It contained about 1G4 cubic feet. 



2 z 



