REPORT ON A VISIT TO THE FORESTS OF SCOTLAND. 23 
Scotland will succeed equally well in Germany. When I looked 
around me, and saw the luxuriant growth of Araucaria imbricata, 
Cedrus Deodara, rhododendrons, bay and Portugal laurels, and 
many other species, which cannot withstand the severity of our 
winters, I could not help doubting the ultimate success of our 
attempts to acclimatise exotic trees. But when I came to 
compare the meteorological conditions of the two countries, the 
matter appeared in a more favourable light. The average annual 
temperature and rainfall of Perth and Berlin are practically 
identical, nor is there any material difference between these two 
places as regards the minimum winter temperature (Perth, 
-—17° F.; Eberswalde, — 29° F.). That Scotland is subject to 
long-continued frost is sufficiently evident from the popularity 
of the game of curling. 
Scotland certainly possesses a much milder climate than her 
latitude would lead one to expect. This is in a large measure 
due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. Her proximity to the 
sea has also the effect of securing for her a fairly equal seasonal 
distribution of the rainfall, while her humid atmosphere has the 
effect of modifying the force and duration of the sun’s rays. The 
centre and east of Germany, on the other hand, are subject to 
much greater variations of temperature, and are liable to suffer 
from long-continued periods of drought. But climate notwith- 
standing, American conifers which have been -planted for fifteen 
years and longer in Germany are growing very satisfactorily ; 
and we may therefore conclude that, although our climate may 
prevent the growth of Araucaria, Laurus, Cedrus, ete,, it will 
permit of the cultivation of the hardier exotics, although their 
growth may be somewhat slower than in Scotland. Such, at 
least, are the expectations which my trip to Scotland has 
encouraged. 
In conclusion, I may shortly summarise the points that 
appeared to me to have the most important bearing on the 
future of forestry in Scotland :— 
1. In selecting the trees to be cultivated, more regard should 
be paid to the character of the situation. 
2. The stocking, whether artificial or natural, should be 
denser. In the latter case, gaps amongst the seedlings 
should be early and carefully filled up by artificial 
transplantation. 
