HISTORY OF THE PLANTATIONS OX SHAMBELLIE HILL. 43 



and of first-class quality. The prices obtained were od. to iod. 

 for larch and 3d. to 6d. for Scots pine. The oak, though sound, 

 was not of great size, the land being thin and steep and better 

 adapted for conifers. This area is now growing a promising 

 crop of young European larch. 



The remainder of the 40 acres of old timber still standing 

 consists chiefly of oak, mixed here and there with larch and 

 Scots pine, the latter sometimes in groups. There are also 

 several acres of pure beech. The elm has entirely and the ash 

 almost entirely disappeared, the granite soil not being suitable 

 for their growth or the drainage free enough. These species 

 have been repeatedly planted in later years on the estate, but 

 the result has always been the same. The aspect of the planta- 

 tions mentioned is south and east, the elevation from 100 to 300 

 feet above the sea, and the slope varies from gentle to steep. 



Shambellie Hill is about two miles from the Solway Firth, 

 and is the first considerable rising ground facing the sea. 



The natural oak wood mentioned was coppice, which was 

 converted into standards and filled up with larch, part of it in 

 1S44 and the remainder in i860. The coppice oak removed in 

 1844 realised ,£44, 10s. per acre at is. per cubic foot for the 

 timber and -£6 per ton for the bark. I am unable to give the 

 price at which the wood was sold in i860, but the bark fetched £~ 

 per ton. I sold the timber on these areas in portions from 1909 

 to 191 2, when the price averaged about ^65 per acre. The 

 larch was of good quality but the oak small, its value averaging 

 only about 2s. 6d. per tree. 



I regret that I am unable to give more detailed information 

 on the progress of the woods mentioned in the letter, but I 

 venture to hope that these notes may, notwithstanding, be of 

 some interest. 



