DOUGLAS FIR ON THE DURRIS ESTATE. 185 



XV. Douglas Fir on the Durris Estate. By Alexander Yeats, 

 Assistant Forester, Durris. 



Among the many timber-producing trees which are either 

 natural to or have been introduced into this country, Douglas fir 

 — Pseudotsuga Douglasii (the Red Fir, or Oregon Pine, of North 

 America) — is worthy of a leading place, owing to its rapid growth, 

 its great dimensions, and the excellence of its timber. 



The exposure of this estate is mainly northern, curving round 

 to the east and to the west. In the plantations where Douglas 

 fir is grown, the elevation is from 100 to 600 feet above sea- 

 level. 



The soil is a loam, produced in part by the decomposition of 

 granite, which is the only rock of the district. It is of vary- 

 ing depth, but never deep enough to produce oak of the first 

 quality. The subsoil is either a stiff clay pan, lying horizontally, 

 or rotten rock — a subsoil certainly much against Scots pine. 



Douglas fir was probably introduced into the Durris policies 

 about sixty years ago, as standard plants, mixed with oak, beech, 

 spruce, silver fir and others. Unfortunately, no pure plantation 

 of Douglas was formed, nor was the species systematically mixed 

 with others. The object was arboricultural rather than sylvicul- 

 tural. As regards soil fertility, the tree is not over-exacting; it 

 may be grown on loamy, calcareous, or peaty soil, but, undoubt- 

 edly, the best results will be obtained from a deep and fertile 

 sandy loam. The reproductive power is strong, as seed is pro- 

 duced every alternate year on trees of thirty years and upwards 

 which stand well towards the light. The bloom appears in May, 

 and the fruit may be gathered in October. When carefully 

 stored, it would seem to maintain its fertility for a lengthened 

 period, as it may be used after eighteen months without any 

 appreciable diminution of germinating power. Taking into con- 

 sideration its early reproductive power, and the germinating 

 capacity of the seed, there is every reason to believe that Douglas 

 fir will soon become one of our cheapest seedlings. 



The seedlings may remain in the seed-bed for one or two years, 

 the strongest plants of the first year being transplanted into 

 nursery lines 1 foot apart, and 4 inohes between the plants. 

 Those which remain in the seed-bed during the second year may 

 be lined out in the same manner. By the end of the third 



