ON ESTABLISHING AN EXPERIMENTAL FOREST AREA, 161 
landowners have lost few opportunities of experimenting with 
exotic trees with regard to their hardiness and suitability for our 
climate, little has been done in testing their behaviour under 
strictly sylvicultural conditions. What has been done, however, 
enables us to predict with comparative accuracy what species are 
and are not likely to succeed in this capacity, and the problem 
remaining for such an area as ours to solve consists in demonstrat- 
ing that system of sylviculture best suited to their habits and 
peculiarities. Not only exotics, however, but indigenous trees 
also require investigation into their rate of growth under different 
systems of thinning under varying conditions of growth. While 
the carefully drawn-up “yield tables” of German foresters are 
accessible, and to some extent available in this connection, climatic 
differences render it difficult to draw a safe comparison between 
Continental and Scottish plantations, and until we gain reliable 
data of our own in the matter, the vexed question of light or heavy 
thinnings cannot be satisfactorily settled. Then, again, the effect 
of a humus layer upon the fertility of plantation soils, and the 
necessary means to obtain that layer, should receive attention. 
Various sylvicultural mixtures suitable for different soils and situ- 
ations are worthy of consideration, and, in short, any questions 
regarding the improvement of sylviculture gererally should be 
taken up and answered, if possible. 
With regard to species dealt with, much must depend upon the 
soils and situations of the area, but we should advise that the 
number be practically confined to those which have already proved, 
or are likely to prove, of special value in Scottish forestry. Any 
tendency to convert the area into a mere station for acclimatisation 
experiments should be checked, for, as already said, such stations 
practically exist on every estate in the country. 
The raising of improved strains of forest trees by careful 
selection of seed from approved types.—Considering the great 
progress made in agriculture and horticuiture in the way of 
improving upon wild forms of plant-life, there seems to be an 
opening in this direction with regard to forest trees. It is well 
known that individual trees of the same species vary greatly 
in their habit of growth, and in commencing or finishing their 
growth ; but we believe that no definite observations have yet been 
made as to the extent to which these peculiarities are transmitted 
from the parent tree to the seedling. Yet it is obvious that 
a plantation in which the most desirable type of tree predominates 
VOL. XV, PART II. ‘ Q 
