Editors Box. 359 



carefully fenced against sheep, &c., with a strong wire fence, and agaiuot 

 nares and rabl)its with wire netting, but having little experience of the 

 ravages of bUick game, imagine then his surprise and dismay, after having 

 in the autumn planted fully fifteen acres with larch, Scots fir, black Aus- 

 trian and Corsican pines, to find about Cliristmas the most of the young 

 trees stripped of their buds ! 



The most of these 'plants have, however, pushed young side shoots, 

 and being late in starting have escaped a fresh mutilation in spring. As 

 an experiment, all the buds of those planted this spring were smeared with 

 Davidson's composition, two boys were employed, who took the plants 

 out of the sheugh, applied a little of the composition with the forefinger, 

 and laid them aside for the planters. This, however, did not prove quite 

 a protective, as the birds would persist in picking off a few of the buds, 

 but, not appearing to relish the taste, they invariably dropped them on 

 the ground, and usually allowed the majority of the buds to remain. 

 No birds appeared to be poisoned, the keepers reporting that they had 

 not seen any dead. 



Another, and in my opinion a much more effectual plan in guarding 

 against the destruction of pines by black game, is to put in plants 

 above their reach ; those who have adopted this plan find it to be so. 

 Good, hardy, well-grown three-year, one-year plants ought to l)e above 

 their reach, are at the same time rather slim for them to perch on, 

 if transplanted in the nursery the spring previously to being planted 

 out will lift with good fibry roots, and if pitted and planted carefully 

 will seldom fail-; in fact, I have found them do better than two-year, 

 one-year, even in exposed placos, where, though apt to be blown and 

 loosened at the roots by wind, a little attention will keep them all 

 right. 



In the beginning of April, when the heather is beginning to sprout, 

 our friends (?) usually leave off and betake themselves "to fresh fields 

 and pastures new," and do no more injury till the beginning of Decem- 

 ber — sometimes earlier, but by Christmas they are again busy attending 

 to the pine trees. 



I am sorry I am not in a position to give ilr. ]\Iore any further 

 information on this subject, but I am confident some of your more cxpe 

 rienced correspondents will be able to offer us some more valuable advice 

 upon the best methods of protecting pines from the ravages of Black 

 Game. A Reader. 



SPRUCE TIMBER. 

 Bin, — I am very glad to find that IMr. "Wilkie has opened up anothet 

 aspect in the discussion on the merits of spruce timber. I am afraid 

 however, that the conclusion which he has arrived at will not commend 

 itself to foresters in general. In his letter he asserts that the thorough 

 seasoning and subsequent ventilation of this wood does more to preserve it 



