7 88 The Joiiynal of Forestry. 



THE SILVER FIR. 



SiK, — "VVe have here some fine timber of the silver fir. I measured two 

 hoarj-headed specimens yesterday. They measured in circumference, at 

 four feet from the ground, 13 feet 9 inches and 15 feet 4 inches respec- 

 tively. About fifty-six years ago three avenues were planted from the 

 progeny of those trees, many of which now measure seven feet round at 

 three feet from the ground. We consider the silver fir one of the very 

 best for planting in situations where we have doubts of larch succeeding, 

 but would never think of planting it where we expect larch to thrive, 

 as we get five shillings more per ton for the latter than we do for the 

 silver A timber merchant had a large quantity of very fine silvers lying 

 at the railway station here ; he was not satisfied with the price first offered, 

 so kept them on hand for about nine months, when he disposed of them 

 at 13s. 6d. per ton. They were fine clean-grown trees ; the diameter of the 

 butt ends would average about thirty inches. A quantity of silvers have 

 been used as sleepers for the railway here,and, next to larch, are considered 

 the most durable. As I have had some discussions with the railway 

 officials on the merits of the larch and silver, we had several sleepers of 

 each marked when being laid down ten months ago, the result of which I 

 will report in due time. 



The Oanlens, Warren''^ Court, Co. Cork, P. Sharp. 



February 23, 1878. 



PRO.SPECT.S OF ADVANCEMEN"T OF UNDER FORESTERS. 



Sir, — I have read with great interest and some anxiety the letter of an 

 "Under Forester," at page 721 of your last number. Being only an 

 apprentice forester, 'and not yet out of my teens, I beg you will not 

 think me too presumptuous in venturing to write something for your 

 pages, although 1 am afraid it is somewhat of a personal matter; still as I 

 believe there are many more young men in the same difficulty as myself, 

 I trust you will kindly bear with me while I try to state my case as fairly 

 P3 an " Under forester " has done. 



My experience of a forester's life is, of course, but short ; however, it 

 has been long enough to rub the roseate hue off it, which I had pictured 

 to myself when I left school at the age of sixteen, and began life with the 

 view of ultimately filling a leading place as a forester in this country, or 

 in the Indian Forest Department — if a good education, a strong love for the 

 profession, and my own assiduity and willingness to learn, would qualify me 

 for filling any such important posts as those I have dared to mention. As I 

 have already hinted, I have nothing to complain of in regard to the 

 liberal education my kind, hard-working, and industrious parents have 

 given me, thanks to them, and to the near neighbourhood in which we 

 lived to an excellent parish school in the south of Scotland, and afterward s 

 to two years spent at a grammar school in the county town. At the end 



