50 TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARHORICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



12. Scrub and Old Oak Coppice Woods. 



By J. M. Murray, B.Sc. 



In many parts of the country there are to be seen large 

 areas covered by scrubby woods of variable composition, 

 and old overgrown oak coppice. The scrub is usually 

 either the result of misguided planting, or of the natural 

 seeding of neglected grazing land. The crop is generally a 

 scattered one consisting mainly of gnarled, branchy and often 

 bush-like birch, alder, mountain ash or oak. Sometimes there 

 is an underwood of hazel and thorn. In addition to growing 

 trees some of these areas are grazed over, and if let, the rent is 

 often only a very low one. Neither from forestry nor agriculture 

 is the proprietor obtaining a full return for this type of land. 



The coppice woods are relics of by-gone days when oak 

 bark was a valuable product. These woods were then worked 

 systematically and at a profit. With the introduction of more 

 rapid tanning materials the price of oak bark fell, but the 

 death-knell of coppice woods was sounded by the great increase 

 in wage-bills. As long ago as 1868 we find foresters com- 

 plaining of a great decrease in profits, and advocating the 

 conversion from coppice to conifer high-forest.^ In few parts 

 of Scotland has any real conversion been done. Most owners 

 preferred to neglect the "hags," although a few tried to make a 

 conversion to oak high-forest by pruning and training selected 

 stems. They hoped these would ultimately become trees of 

 some size. This hope has usually been a vain one, although 

 the size and quality of the stems depend on the age of the 

 parent stools, and on the nature of the soil and climate. The 

 younger the stools, the richer the soil, and the warmer the 

 climate, the larger and more vigorous have the stems become. 

 In general, however, coppice woods were formed on soils that 

 were not the best for oak, and in consequence the stems are 

 low, with flat crowns. Against this there are instances of 

 coppice shoots ultimately becoming trees of from 30 to 50 

 cubic feet in 150 years. This may happen on heavy soils; but 

 taking into consideration all the types it may be said that, 

 as a general rule, coppice stems do not seem to be capable of 



^ In the Transactions of this Society, Vol. iv. p. 147, W. M'Corquodale, 

 Scone, writes "On the Conversion of Coppice Land into a more Remunerative 

 Crop." 



