325 
Approaching Finzean House the road is bordered on either side 
by plantations of Scots pine. The trees are remarkable alike for 
height, clean trunks and girth. They are said to average 250 trees 
to the acre, and the cubical contents are said to be upwards of 
8000 feet to the acre. There was, however, no opportunity of 
checking these figures. The trees are known locally as “Dr. Far- 
quharson’s Walking-sticks.” In a mixed wood behind the house a 
Mertensiana and Juglans regia were also seen. 
riday, June 28th, a visit was paid to the sawmills of 
Messrs. A. and G. Paterson, of Banchory, where large quantities 
of wood from the forests are dealt with. The two great woods of 
the district, pine and larch, were most in evidence, but Douglas 
fir and other kinds were also seen. The manner in which timber is 
injured by squirrels was very noticeable in some of the timber which 
had been cut up. In some cases the damage is so serious that large 
sections of trees have to be discarded. Messrs. Paterson have very 
kindly presented planks of Douglas fir, larch, Abies nobilis, &c., for 
the Forestry Museum at Kew. 
Crathes, the estate of Sir Thomas Burnett, Bart., was also visited. 
Woods of a similar character to those already seen were passe 
é wo 
plantations of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), growing at elevations 
34 years old and are planted on bog land. At the time of planting, 
drains were opened eight or nine yards apart which still carry off a 
considerable amount of water. The first plantation visited covers 
about 83 acres. It was originally planted with a mixture of trees, 
chiefly Douglas fir and Sitka spruce. In the drier places the firs 
are the larger, but in most places the spruces have suppressed all 
other trees. The wood has not been thinned, but the trees do not 
appear to have suffered on that account. The other wood is entirely 
Sitka spruce. I was informed that Professor Mayr, of Munich, 
considered these the two best plantations of Sitka spruce in Europe. 
From their condition they go far to justify the extensive plantations 
of this tree which are being made in some quarters on wet exposed land. 
The gardens at Durris are extremely interesting, for they are 
attractively situated, and contain a good collection of trees, shrubs 
and other plants. Many of the trees are very well developed, an 
numerous conifers, ranging in height from 70 to 100 feet, retain 
their branches to the ground. Abies grandis, A. Lowiana, A. 
Pinsapo, Thuya plicata and Pseudotsuga Douglasii were prominent. 
A spevimen of the latter, 72 years old, measured 106 feet in height 
25633 B 
