1883.] 



EDITOR'S BOX. 



71 



AN ENQUIRY. 



Sir, — My son now rents a moor in a lovely part of this county, 

 called Blauchland, which is on the borders of Noi'thumberland and 

 Durham. The former tenant having a dislike to adders, &c., supplied 

 himself with goats to destroy them (which these animals are very 

 clever in doing). The lovely woods being found to suffer from such 

 unsuitable inmates, he (I conclude in ignorance) painted the suffering 

 kinds of trees with coal-tar as a preventive ! The Planes, liovvans, 

 Willows and Beeches, are all victims, and up to the height of eight or 

 ten feet are encased in this black band, and evidently dying. I 

 notice where Nature has made a strong enough effort to split dow7i the 

 bark the trees look more hopeful ; but in dozens of cases the entire 

 bark is falling on to the ground, leaving the wood bare, and, of course, 

 dying. Will anything save these treasures, as trees must ever be 

 Considered ? 1 have thought that perhaps oil, well rubbed into the 

 injured bark, might do good, since it seems so burnt. Can any of 

 the readers of ' Forestry' suggest a remedy ? 



Thornhill, Sunderland. 



Theresa T. Laino. 



[We fear that irremediable damage has been done to the trees 

 referred to, except in the instances mentioned, where Nature is rising 

 superior to the injury which has been done to her. But if any 

 of our readers coiJd suggest a remedy, we shall be glad to publish 



