40 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



4. History of the Plantations on Shambellie 

 Hill, near Dumfries. 



{With Plate.) 

 By Captain Wm. Stewart. 



The following letter was addressed to my grand-uncle, Captain 

 C. Stewart, by William Copland, one of a family who were 

 foresters on this estate for at least three generations : — 



Letter to Captain C. Stewart from his father s wood forester, giving 



an account of the planting of the Shambellie Wood. 



New Abbey, 



gtk April 1805. 



Sir, — My son received your letter dated the 27th ult, and, as 

 desired, I now give a circumstantial detail of the wood planta- 

 tions on Shambellie Hill which I assisted in executing. 



In the year 1752 your grandfather enclosed 4 acres, which 

 were planted with oak, ash and common fir, and, in 1792, I 

 began to cut the latter from amongst the hardwood, at which 

 time the trees measured from 5 to 20 feet of timber each. The 

 weeding of that lot was finished in 1800 and produced about 

 p£6o per acre, besides a considerable number of small trees 

 which were sold, when very young, at such prices as they would 

 bring. A tolerable crop of oak is left, though not so good as 

 might have been gained had the firs been wed out sooner from 

 amongst them. Those which got air in time are now worth 

 £1 each. 



Five years after forming the first plantation, a second was 

 made consisting of 2 acres of common fir, for which your father 

 refused ^200 sterling per acre, and desired me to cut and fell 

 them to the country, according to the demand that appeared, 

 which I am at present doing. There are 425 trees on the acre, 

 measuring about 1 1 feet each, which fell at fifteen pence per foot; 

 consequently, the value therof is ^250 per acre or thereby. 



A third plantation of 26 acres of common firs, with a few oak 

 and ash trees, was executed in the year 1765 ; but the firs being 

 too close on the ground chocked most of the hard timber. The 

 firs are now weeding for the English market where, I am 

 convinced, they will produce fully ^100 per acre. This 

 plantation lies on high ground. 



In 1772 a fourth plantation of 28 acres was made under the 

 direction of your father, some of which with oak and common 



