VARIATION IN THE SCOTS PINK. 89 



Wood is superior to that from any other forest. Others praise 

 the length and straightness of the stems in their favourite forest, 

 and so on. Different forms there would certainly appear to be, 

 but such are to be found wherever Scots pine is grown over any 

 considerable area. Several races or forms which reproduce true 

 to seed have been distinguished and named. Of these races, 

 possibly rigensis and Haguenensis (named after their places of 

 origin) are the most famous, and Vilmorin, in his experiments at 

 Les Barres, found the former to be the finest stem producer of 

 all the kinds he tried. 1 It is not possible to say without 

 extended and critical examination and experiment whether or 

 no the forest forms which we recognise in Scotland belong to 

 distinct physiological races. The exact determination of a race 

 can only be demonstrated by cultures. In each of these native 

 woods, however, many variations in form and habit occur. 

 Thus, one can find in Loch Tulla wood trees wit^i narrow 

 crowns and long, clean stems of moderate diameter growing 

 alongside coarse, branchy trees of large diameter but short bole. 

 At Loch Maree trees with weeping branches occur alongside 

 horizontally branched specimens.' 2 Branchy trees and those 

 with clean stems could be found in Glen More. In Glentanar 

 the growth forms are very numerous, even in the part about the 

 natural origin of which there should be little doubt. Similarly, 

 differences in form and habit can be noted in any of the other 

 native woods. The appearance of the bark is not more con- 

 stant, and trees with relatively thin, orange-red bark coming 

 far down the stem grow alongside those with thick, large tabular- 

 scaled, brown or greyish bark with only a small amount of the 

 thin, red bark showing near the top and on the smaller 

 branches. 



In planted woods it is also possible to pick out variations. 

 An instance of this was given by Mr A. S. MacLarty in the last 

 number of the Transactions. I am indebted to Mr MacLarty for 

 specimens of the trees he described and have been able to con- 

 firm his observations on the bud characters. I can now give the 

 following characters based on these specimens and on others in 

 my possession. The lettering A and B refers to the plants of 

 Mr MacLarty 's paper. 



1 Klwes and Henry, Trees of Great Britain, vol. iii. p. 596. 

 ' Witches' Brooms are not uncommon on pine branches, but they are more 

 numerous on trees in Loch Maree forest than anywhere else in my experience. 



