Editorial Notes. 9 



Brown, entitled, " Schools of Forestry in Europe," noticed in 

 another part of this Journal, in which he makes an able appeal for the 

 establishment of a forest school at Edinburgh. We may add that it 

 is necessary for a properly equipped Forest School to have a large 

 extent of forest land attached to it, having a variety of elevations and 

 soils suitable for the profitable cultivation of all our hardy trees ; 

 besides the garden nursery, or arboretum, which forms tlic nucleus, 

 or head-quarters, for the schools. By proper arrangements, such an 

 extent of suitable land could be got within easy reach of Edinburgh, 

 along the slopes, amongst the glens, and upon the Pentland Hills; 

 or, if for a school in England, amid the uplands of Surrey and Hants, 

 or among the hills of Derbyshire, or in Wales, where trees thrive to 

 perfection, and the land is of comparatively small value for any other 

 purpose. 



The Black Italian Poplar {Poimlus Monilifcra) is well known to 

 be one of our fastest-growing forest trees, the timber of which 

 is much used in constructive work, where toughness and mode- 

 rate elasticity combined are required. The tree is a native of 

 North America, and is said to have been first brought to Italy, 

 and thence to Britain ; hence the common name " Black Italian 

 poplar." It was fu'st introduced into this country from Canada in 

 1772, and Loudon in writing of it some half-century ago says, "Its 

 rate of growth in the climate of London, in good soil, is between 

 thirty and forty feet in seven years, and in Scotland it has attained 

 the height of seventy feet in sixteen years." Such rapid growth it is 

 not likely to make in all cases, but there is a growing knowledge of 

 the usefulness of the timber and the profitableness of the tree as a 

 forest crop, and we have every confidence in recommending it to the 

 attention of planters as a most valuable tree where the soil and 

 climate are suitable to its nature. In corroboration of our opinion 

 we have much pleasure in quoting the following letter from Mr. 

 McLaren, the highly experienced and intelligent forester to the Earl 

 of Hopetoun, Hopetoun House, Linlithgow. He says, " I am pleased 

 to send you a few particulars about a fine black Italian poplar, con- 

 taining eighty cubic feet of timber, which was cut down here last 

 December. It was planted in 182-i, in a mixed plantation of ash, elm, 

 oak, maple, poplar, larch, and Scots fir ; and after being cut down 

 was sold at our public sale for £8 12s. 6d., being more than double 

 tlie price received for any of the other kinds at the same age ; the 

 larch approaching nearest to it in size, and the price per tree it 

 brought. It may be said that the soil suitable to the free growth of 

 the poplar does not suit the other sorts ; but while it was planted in 



