126 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
This being so, we should do well to give this point close atten- 
tion, and give that species the preference in planting which already 
possesses a good name in the district. Of course, this need not 
preclude the introduction of other species into sites which appear 
eminently suited to their known requirements, for the planting of 
one kind of tree alone is not in accordance with sylvicultural prin- 
ciples. Larch, for instance, may be present in a district to only a 
very slight extent, and yet if there appeared to be any chance of its 
succeeding, it would be good policy to introduce it on a more 
extensive scale, taking care to select such sites only as answer to its 
known requirements, 
In the case of all conifers, a moderate or normal rate of growth 
is more desirable than a rapid one, and in planting a coniferous 
species, too rich or forcing soils should always be avoided. It is 
doubtful if the Scots pine timber grown in Scotland is of better 
quality than that grown on poor gravels in the south. In the 
case of the latter the more favourable climate, which would 
naturally induce a rapid growth, is counteracted by the poverty 
of the soil, and practically the same results are obtained in both 
cases. We are aware that the colder winters of the north are con- 
sidered by some as chiefly responsible for the usual superiority of 
Scottish timber, but we have seen timber in the vicinity of Gordon 
Castle, and along the shores of the Moray Firth, which left little to 
be desired, and the climate in that district is proverbial for its 
mildness and freedom from frost. It is chiefly on the recent 
geological formations or diluvial deposits, where the soils are of the 
poorest nature, that Scots pine should be grown in the south of 
England, and away from these the quality of this timber is usually 
soft and spongy. For hardwoods, on the other hand, soil poverty 
is a disadvantage, as the timber is usually shaky and porous, the 
annual ring consisting largely of vessels which give it a low specific 
gravity. This is especially the case with oak and ash, in which 
these vessels are largely developed. In the case of beech, good soil 
is not such an important matter, as quality is not considered so 
much with this tree, and in many districts it is almost entirely used 
for firewood. 
In producing clean timber, the sylvicultural treatment of the crop 
is, of course, the point upon which everything depends. As we 
have mentioned the produce of natural forests as a commodity 
which satisfies the demand for timber of high quality, we may 
briefly glance at the conditions under which it is grown. In 
