WHEN AFFORESTATION COMES. I 29 



consequent upon a better selection of suitable seeds and 

 greater attention to massed growths with proper shelter, I 

 can come to no other conclusion than that for Scotland the 

 trees to grow are the larch and the Scots fir ; and the pro- 

 ducts will be as at present — staves, sleepers, pitwood and 

 boxwood, with the addition as time goes on of roofing and 

 light joisting in dimensions from 4 inches by 2 inches up to 

 7 inches by 2h inches. I have not mentioned spruce, useful 

 only for scenic eflfect or protection, for the Scottish whitewood, 

 so far as my experience goes, is an inferior wood, only less 

 inferior than its sister, the silver fir. An improvement may 

 be effected in the manner of its growth, but at present it is 

 much too knotty. I am afraid my strictures upon the spruce 

 may cause some controversy, and were it possible to grow 

 such wood as is grown in the Baltic, the case would be altered.^ 

 The Government authorities quite evidently do not share 

 my views, for I observed that the other night Sir Samuel Scott 

 drew from Mr Hobhouse, in the House of Commons, the 

 answer that there had been ordered for direct planting on the 

 hillside at Loch Awe 80,000 Scots pine, 150,000 larch, 35,000 

 Douglas, 45,000 silver, 240,000 spruce, and 40,000 Sitka spruce. 

 I only wish some of those who pin their faith to our Scotch 

 spruce had been with me last June, as I glided on for half a 

 day through the woods of the Hallingdal A^alley in Norway, 

 where the almost branchless spruces grew of all ages, and 

 not densely planted either, straight as pencils, clean as stalks 

 of wheat. I know it is expected that spruce will come into 

 use for pulp-making, but for that purpose a wood much freer 

 from knots is necessary. It is a well-known fact that the hard 

 gummy-edged knots have all to be drilled out, and with spruce, 

 as we find it in Scotland, this would be a laborious and unprofit- 

 able task ; moreover, when the straw of the American prairies 

 can be converted into paper, and this is quite on the cards, pulp 

 from wood will be a thing of the past. The larch is a most 

 admirable wood, and should be more abundantly planted. 

 It has not its equal amongst soft woods for its lasting qualities, 

 for railway and pit sleepers, for all manner of housebuilding 

 timber, and for various other purposes. The Scots fir is a 

 beautiful wood badly grown nowadays. Why, I am not 



1 See Vol. xxii., p. 106. Mucli of what is tliere said is applicable also to 

 the spruce.— Hon. Ed. 



