3 i 2 77/6^ younuil of Forestry. 



exuuiined Ibis ])liink, and reports to u« as follows, regaicliiig the tree 

 IVom M'liieh it Lad been taken : — 



" The tree must have been 19 feet in Ljirlli at the bottom of the 

 plank, and 16 at top, G feet 3 inches liigher np. I can make out 

 l.*4o layei's on one radius ; seven are "wanting in the centre, and seven 

 years at least must be added fur the growth of the tree to the place 

 of measurement. Hence the tree must have been about 2G0 year;i 

 old. The outer layers on this radius are so wide that it must have 

 lieen growing at a goodly rate when it was cut down." 



The plank is in the front corridor, imnrediately on the left hand as 

 one enters the main liall of the Museum, leaning against tlie wall 

 which partitions off the corridor from the body of the hall. We call 

 attention to this highly interesting historical arboricultural relic in 

 order that many of our northern subscril^ers, when in Edinburgh, 

 may visit the Industrial Museum there, and inspect it for themselves, 

 feeling sure that after seeing so noble a specimen plank of indigenous 

 ►Scots fir timber, they v/ill share with us in the regret that not one 

 specimen tree of this forest was spared by its ruthless destroyer, either 

 to transmit to future ages the seeds of so noble and lofty a line, or 

 to mark the spot where once stood so many monarclis of the forest. 



BuPtlNG the last few days of the late session of Parliament the 

 Government passed through both Houses a bill called the " Destruc- 

 tive Insects Act, 1877 ; " the title of which is a complete misnomer, 

 as the Act is solely directed against the Coloeado beetle^ and 

 makes no provision whatever for preventing or diminishing the 

 attacks of the hosts of other destructive in,sects Avhicli are the cause 

 of so much havoc every season in our forests, fields, and gardens. 

 This Colorado fellow is no doubt a troublesome customer in the 

 potato patches of the United States, where climate and other circum- 

 stances are suitable to tlie healthy existence of such nefarious vermin ; 

 but it has still to be proved that the voracious creature will thrive 

 and multiply exceedingly in the broad potato-fields of Yorkshire or 

 the Lothians, or on the " lazy beds " of the Irish peasants' national 

 esculent. The cold, raw, changeable climate of the British Isles is more 

 than likely to prove a match for this unwelcome Western visitor, and 

 will probably prevent him from committing any extensive damage to 

 our potato crops ; but it is best to be provided for all contingencies in 

 cases of this kind, and this Act gives fall poweivs to the I'rivy 

 Council to take efiicient means for stamping out the Colorado Beetle, 

 shoidd it unfortunately gain a foothold upun our shores. Such an 

 Act of Parliament is (|uite riglit and proper, and, if strictly applied, 



