74 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



acres. Some 20 years ago, it began to suffer a series of 

 calamities. In 1889 the Nun moth {Liparis monacha) appeared 

 in extraordinary numbers, its caterpillars devastating 7000 acres 

 of trees. Various artificial means were tried, but without effect, 

 to get rid of the plague; but, happily, after two years, the 

 caterpillars were smitten with a mysterious disease which killed 

 them all off within a few days. In 1894 and 1895 a succession 

 of gales destroyed another 2500 acres. All this area of nearly 

 10,000 acres was cleared of timber as fast as possible ; since 

 which, the process of re-afforestation has been steady carried on. 

 Where re-afforesting was begun while the ground was still clear 

 of vegetation, and manured by the carcases of myriads of 

 caterpillars, the result was very successful. But as the years 

 went on, the ground deteriorated, and it became more and more 

 difficult to give the young plants a start. An interesting process 

 of combined forestry and agriculture was then tried, which proved 

 very effective. It is thus described by Prof. Mayr in a little 

 guide-book prepared for our help. The old spruce roots having 

 first been grubbed up, " the ground is sown with a crop of oats 

 which is harvested in summer. This, after a light dressing of 

 manure, is followed in the second spring by a potato crop. After 

 the potatoes are lifted, a dressing of lime is given, and in the 

 third spring some more artificial manure is applied, after which 

 oat and spruce seed are sown. The ripe oats are cut fairly 

 high," and the spruce seedlings come up among the stubble. 

 " By this method, not only are the plants obtained free of cost, 

 but a considerable net income is gained." The superfluous trees 

 are lifted with a ball and planted in other parts of the forest; 

 the instrument used being a spade with a blade bent into the 

 shape of a half cone. We saw trees about 6 inches high raised 

 by this instrument with a neat ball, and planted elsewhere, the 

 work being performed by men and women — the men digging 

 the pits, and the women putting in the trees and pressing them 

 down. 



When re-afforestation was begun, the system adopted was to 

 plant birches a few yards apart to serve as nurses for the 

 permanent crop. After giving the birches 8 years' start, the 

 whole ground was sown with spruce and larch, which are now 

 coming up well. But experience has proved that this system 

 of nurses is not an economical one, and it has now been 

 discarded. We walked down a straight green ride, on one side 



