21 
The somewhat exposed position, however, and, in some places, 
loose, sandy nature of the soil, no doubt rendered the trees 
exceedingly liable to suffer from strong gales. 
The party soon emerged on the Cullen road, which gives its 
name to the plantation. Turning to the right, and walking along 
the road eastward, a newly-formed plantation of ornamental trees 
on the left was observed to be making capital progress, and the 
choice coniferous species promising to be a complete success. On 
the right rose Cullen Wood, which had just been inspected, and 
on the left the beautifully-diversified deer park, partly hidden 
from the passer-by by a sheltering belt of stately trees, giving the 
road more of the appearance of a grand avenue to a baronial 
mansion than a public highway. Among the trees on the left 
overhanging the road, a natural curiosity was observed in the 
shape of a thrice forked beech tree growing round a Scots pine, 
and so closely grasping it as to give the appearance of the pine 
being part of its companion. 
Arriving at the east gate, where a pretty Swiss cottage serves 
as a lodge, the policies were now entered. Including the deer 
park, they extend to about 1500 acres, richly wooded in many 
parts with grand ancestral trees of the stateliest dimensions. In 
the glen to the left, the party soon found themselves among some 
of the tallest and finest commercial trees on the estate. These 
consist chiefly of beech and Scots pine, with fine straight “ gun- 
barrel” boles, of substantial girth, and without a branch to a 
height of 60 to 70 feet, furnishing timber of the cleanest and best 
quality. The average girth of the Scots pine growing here was 
estimated to be about 7 feet 6 inches. Of the larger trees, the 
following measurements were taken :—(1) 11 feet in girth of stem, 
and 80 feet in height, with 40 feet of clean, straight bole; (2) 11 
feet in girth ; (3) 9 feet 4 inches in girth, and 60 feet of clean 
bole, all being girthed at the usual height of 5 feet from the ground. 
On emerging from this fine wood, near to the estate sawmill, 
the Excursionists proceeded across the ridge of the deer park 
towards Cotton Hill, passing on the way several thriving clumps 
of ornamental trees, among which the conifers appeared to be 
most at home on this rather exposed ridge. Herds of deer, both 
fallow and red, browsing on the verdure, or scampering off on 
the approach of the party, lent life and animation to the scene. 
Many old picturesque trees, whose stunted and gnarled forms, 
assuming in many cases mcst fantastic shapes, adorned the 
