142 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



30 feet, with clean, straight stems, are not so tall as some others 

 of the same age, they are all very healthy. Twenty-five years ago, 

 when Sir Dietrich Brandis, the late Inspector-General of Forests 

 in India, visited the Lovat estates, he declared that the Balblair 

 Wood was the best example of natural regeneration he had seen 

 in this country. The system, owing to its somewhat haphazard 

 nature, is not one that is now recommended to planters in this 

 country; but it was exceedingly interesting to see on a large scale, 

 as at Balblair, what, under favouring conditions, might be done 

 with it. 



Photograph No. 3 was taken from the edge of the drive through 

 the Balblair Wood, and shows some of the younger trees ; while 

 No. 4 gives an idea of the appearance of some of the more mature 

 timber in the same wood. 



In the course of the day Beaufort Castle was visited, and there, 

 in the open roof of the servants' hall, the party had an opportunity 

 of seeing larch which had been grown on the estate put to use for 

 constructive purposes. The central beam of the beautiful drawing- 

 room is also of larch. The tree which furnished it, though only 

 sixty-four years of age, contained 112 cubic feet of timber. The 

 hall of the castle, built in 1882, is lined with home-grown oak of 

 fine quality, and in the vicinity of the mansion-house several 

 "original'' larches, dating from 1738, are to be seen. 



Mr David P. Laird, the convener of the Excursion Committee, 

 proposed a vote of thanks to Lord Lovat, and remarked that 

 they had had a most instructive day. He expressed satisfaction 

 that they were to have Lord Lovat as a vice-president, and hoped 

 they would long have his co-operation in forwarding the interests 

 of forestry in Scotland. Lord Lovat, in reply, expressed the 

 pleasure it had given him to see the Royal Scottish Arbori- 

 cultural Society at Beaufort Castle, and he trusted they might 

 come back again and see the results of the experiments they 

 were now making. Cheers were given for his Lordship and for 

 Mr Dewar. 



Dunrobin Castle. 



Through the kindness of the Duke of Sutherland, Thursday, 

 3rd August, was most agreeably spent in inspecting the policies, 

 home plantations, and gardens at Dunrobin Castle. The day 

 was one of pleasure rather than of business, and under the 

 guidance of Mr Donald Maclean, factor, Mr D. Robertson, 



