Scotch Forestry. 187 



Albertiana, 40 to 50 years old, showed 22.25 inches quarter- 

 girth. 



On the whole, it seems to me that such e\idence as I have 

 collected shows that whereas with Common Larch it is hardly fair 

 to reckon on a gain of one foot in height and of one inch in 

 girth per annum, the Japanese Larch ought to increase fully 

 L3 inches in girth up to 27 vears. 



So many of the other trees have been grown under specially 

 favourable conditions that it is dangerous to say much, but as you 

 see from the figures all, except one or two, show a larger increase 

 in girth than the Glenstriven Larch. Even the monkey puzzle 

 has beaten it. 



Lari.x occidentalis is another very promising newcomer; at 

 Monreith eight have been planted out. They have only been 

 three years out, but the average height is already 4 feet 6 inches 

 (one was 6 feet high with a leader 2 feet 3| inches long). 

 The seed appears, however, to be very difficult to get. 

 It IS surely of the very first importance that more statistics of 

 growth should be collected and more experiments made with these 

 exotics, and especially with those from British Columbia. 



At any rate experiments with Douglas Fir, Menzies Spruce, 

 Abies nobilis, and indeed with almost all these mentioned seem 

 to show that there is quite a good chance of helping out the usual 

 trees in Scotch forestry with others which appear, so far as the 

 evidence goes, to grow far more quickly and to be just as hardy 

 and healthy as the Larch, Scots Pine, and Spruce, which 

 hitherto have been our main forest crop. 



But, of course, in any practical proposal, the point which 

 finally decides the question is, will it pay? 



As a matter of fact, Scotch forestry does pay when conducted 

 carefully, as a business and with ordinary common-sense. I know 

 at least two proprietors who obtain ten shillings per acre regularly ■ 

 every year from their woods. These woods are increasing in 

 value every year, and will not reach full bearing for probably 20 

 or 30 years to come. 



The land in one rase was so covered with rock, whin, and 

 broom that it was worth less than nothing per acre. 



For those of us who know by evidence of our own eyes the 

 extent of Scotland, both in the Lowlands and the Highlands, 

 which is worth only from 6d to 3s 6d per acre, the prospect of 



