Reviews of Books. 59 



home growth of vaUiable timber, seeing so many of the old timber supplies 

 iu coiiutries whence we have been accustomed to draw largely for our con- 

 structive wants at home, must now have yearly increasing demands upon 

 their resources, in competition with our own, from those rapidly progressing 

 colonies which Great Britain has established for her surplus population in all 

 quarters of the world, even in climates where timber for constructive pur- 

 poses is by no means abundant." 



" On the Cheapest and most Effectual Means of Clearing Land for Plant- 

 ing." By D. T. McKenzie, Forester, Meldrum House, Aberdeenshire. 

 Here we have a valualile practical paper, giving full details of au 

 excellent method of clearing brushwood, furze, broom, &c., by a pair of 

 oxen yoked to stout chains passed round clumps of the brushwood, &c., which 

 is dragged clean out by the roots and left in a state easy for removal , 

 enabling the ground to be cleared at a comparatively small cost, and in 

 favourable cases even producing a profit from the sale of the brushwood 

 and roots, for firewood or other purposes. We have then excellent instruc- 

 tion upon the clearing of rough herbage, and heather, by burning ; and 

 a strong recommendation in favour of the employment of steam power, as 

 " the most speedy and most economical " system of extracting large tree 

 roots ; upon which there can be little difference of opinion. Dynamite is 

 also spoken of and recommended as useful in bursting up very large roots, 

 speedily rendering them easy to remove, l)ut it is yet much too expensive 

 an article for general use. 



The next paper, " On the Diseases of the Larch," by the same author, 

 treats of a subject which has been the cause of much anxiety to foresters, 

 and heavy loss to many proprietors ; but the exact nature of the causes 

 which produce it are still much disputed amongst arborists and botanists ; 

 and we do not see that the present paper adds much to our knowledge of 

 the subject, although some ideas are started which are worthy of further 

 investigation. 



In a " Report on Old and Remarkable Trees growing on the Estates 

 of Bayham Abbey and Wilderness Park, in the County of Kent," by James 

 Duff, Wood Manager, Bayham Abbey, many very interesting particulars 

 are given of twenty-five grand old trees, including oak, ash, beech, Spanish 

 chestnut, evergreen oak, and cedar of Lebanon, growing on those estates, 

 the measurements and particulars of which 'will form a useful record to 

 future generations, of the progress made by these giants of the forest, in 

 centuries to come. This is a subject we would strongly recommend to 

 the notice of all those who possess or have the care of old and remarkable 

 trees, and hope they will do as the author of this paper has done, " make 

 a note of them," and publish it. 



A meritorious paper by the same author, " On the Arboriculture of 

 the County of Kent," takes a cursory glance at the general arbori- 

 cultural features of the " Garden of England," and gives valuable and 

 interesting information upon the profitable cultivation of coppice for 

 hop-poles, which are in great demand, and bring very remunei'ative prices 

 in this hop-growing county. 



"On the Deleterious Effects of Sulphur upon Iron Fenciug," by Thomas 

 Wilkie, Forester, Invergarry, Inverness-shire, gi^es a timely caution to all 

 who may be erecting iron fences, against the use of sulphur for batting 

 the fence into stones, because it corrodes and eats through the iron in a 

 few years, rendering the fence worthless till the standards are renewed at 

 great cost. He recommends " batting with lead as the best plan in all 

 cases," as it does not injure the iron, and has stood for twenty years as 



