PLANTATIONS AND TREES ON THE ESTATE OF BRAHAN. 9O1 
XX. On the Plantations and Trees on the Estate of Brahan, m 
the County of Ross, By ALEXANDER PITCAITHLEY, Forester, 
Glentruim, Kingussie. 
The estate of Brahan is about eight square miles in extent, 
nearly one-fourth of which is under wood. The land has mostly a 
southern exposure, and the soil is generally a good loam. 
The oldest trees are in the vicinity of Brahan Castle, these 
being about two hundred years of age, and are, for the most part, 
showing signs of decay. The youngest plantations are from five to 
fifteen years old, and these have suffered very much from the want 
of timely attention being paid to thinning and draining. In some 
places they are much crowded together and drawn up into spindly 
poles ; while in the hollows they have died off, or barely survive, 
from the excessive wet. The older plantations are in a fairly 
thriving state, and consist of hardwoods—oak predominating. 
No. 1 contains about 150 acres of Scots fir and larch of from 40 
to 50 years’ standing; altitude, 400 to 500 feet; soil, clayey till and 
peat-moss ; subsoil, clay and rock ; geological formation, conglome- 
rate ; exposure, S.W. The Scots fir in this wood have thriven well, 
but show a good many black knots when cut up. The larch have 
not done so well, and are very much “blistered.” The trees are from 
40 to 50 feet in height, and contain each from 10 to 15 cubic feet. 
No. 2.—About 500 acres in extent and consists of Scots fir and 
larch from 10 to 15 years of age; altitude, 300 to 350 feet ; 
exposure, W.; soil, peat-moss ; subsoil, gravelly clay; geological 
formation, conglomerate. The trees have thriven well, except in 
the hollows, where the neglect of having proper drainage has 
injured them and retarded their growth. The Scots fir range from 
9 to 18 feet and the larch from 12 to 20 feet high. 
No. 3 consists of 130 acres of Scots fir and larch from 5 to 10 
years of age; altitude, 250 to 300 feet; exposure, W. and N ; 
soil, peat-moss ; subsoil, clay. The plants are from 5 to 12 feet in 
height, growing on ground that had previously yielded a heavy 
crop of Scots fir, notwithstanding which they are thriving well, 
though the larches in some places are suffering from want of proper 
drainage, and some parts are also very much in need of thinning. 
No. 4 is a plantation of 700 acres of hardwoods, principally oak, 
with a few larch, spruce, and Scots firs, from 40 to 100 years of 
age; altitude, 150 to 300 feet; exposure, S8.; soil, light loam ; 
subsoil, gravelly clay; geological formation, conglomerate and 
sandstone. The trees are from 50 to 70 feet high, with a cireum- 
