96 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



V. Note on Raith and Novar Working Plans. 

 By R. C. Munro Ferguson, M.P. 



The second forest Plan which now appears in the Royal Scottish 

 Arboricultural Society's Transactions, nearly completes the work 

 originally mapped out for the Raith and Novar woodlands. 

 There remains yet an area of nearly 700 acres in Fife, part of 

 which will be dealt with as plantations of high forest hardwood 

 for profit, and the rest as pleasure grounds, game coverts, or 

 experimental areas. When the memoranda for this third section 

 is completed, then the 5500 acres treated will be divided into— 



(1) 800 acres of pit-wood; 



(2) 700 acres of policy coverts and hardwoods in Fife ; 



(3) 4000 acres of high forest conifers in Ross-shire. 



There are already similar plans in operation elsewhere, whilst 

 others are on hand ; and the advantages of having definite 

 system in forestry, as in agriculture, are so obvious that the 

 methodical treatment of woods may soon come to be tacitly 

 accepted in estate offices. There is sufficient incentive to take 

 remedial measures in view of the ill-planned, ill-looking, and ill- 

 paying woods that occupy so great a proportion of our forest 

 area, of which some notable examples are revealed in the Novar 

 Plan • consequently many of us have been led to think that, 

 with elenientaiy precautions, much ornamental woodland can be 

 improved, and our ordinary woods made to give a satisfactory 

 return. On the other hand, others assume that their woods 

 are in a sound condition economically and otherwise, and that 

 we have nothing much to learn abroad hut have cause rather to 

 distrust new-fangled ideas. 



Admitting, for the sake of argument, that the general state of 

 the Scottish timber area is satisfactory, and accepting the fact 

 unreservedly that the best woods possess considerable money 

 value (as the Death and Succession Duties will show), yet this 

 at least is certain, that for some important purposes even the 

 best woodlands are without value as an asset. Take a familiar 

 example which any average landowner can readily grasp, viz., 

 the power to borrow money. It often happens that we seek to 

 induce others to look favourably upon our lands and heritages 

 as a promising field for investment upon heritable security. 

 We make our pilgrimage to the family writer, where we may 



