714 The yournal of Forestry. 



The falling of all hard woods except the oak should be finished 

 during the month. 



Where not reared at home, nursery seedlings should now l:)e 

 ordered, to be ready for bedding out, 



Pluckley, Kent. A. J. Burrows. 



SCOTLAND. 



During the last month we experienced the extremes of both good 

 and bad weather. The first fortnight was unusually mild and genial, 

 so much so indeed that the birds were thrown quite out of their 

 reckoning, and on several mornings were heard singing with great 

 glee. On the 20th, however, a sudden change took place, by a bitter 

 cold M'ind setting in from the west, accompanied by showers of sleet 

 and snow. During the evenings of the 20th and 21st the wind rose 

 to a perfect gale, causing great damage amongst forest trees. From 

 some quarters we hear that many large trees were blown across the 

 public roads, causing a dead block to all traffic for a considerable time. 

 Wherever trees have been blown over, in parks or policies, all other 

 work should be suspended until they are dissected and carted off, there 

 being nothing more unsightly in a policy than fallen trees lying about 

 with upturned roots. An effectual method of disposing of the 

 upturned roots of trees is to dig a large pit close behind them, if the 

 soil is favourable, into which they fall when sawn from the trunk. 

 These pits should be made deep enough so as to allow at least a foot 

 of soil to cover the highest part of the root. In other cases, however, 

 it is cheaper to blow them in pieces with gunpowder or other explo- 

 sives, and cart them off to the waste-heap. On those estates where 

 deer are kept the branches of the trees should be carted into the park 

 and scattered about ; deer eat the bark of almost every tree with 

 the greatest avidity, and as pasture is very scant just now, a dozen 

 cartloads or so of brush no doubt will be very acceptable to them. 

 Great care must be taken to keep out all branches of yew, as the 

 leaves and bark of that tree are highly poisonous. A sharp look-out 

 must still be kept on exposed trees liable to be attacked by vermin ; 

 a man should go round these once a day, and apply a preventive 

 mixture wherever the slightest indication of barking is seen. 



The felling of timber may still be carried on, and advantage should 

 be taken of frosty weather to get the wood either lotted for sale 

 or else dragged to convenient stations for carting. 



The repairing of wooden fences should also be attended to. This 

 work can be carried on with greater freedom now that the fields for 

 the most part are clear of stock. 



