48 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



a well-sheltered site, with a northerly aspect, and on loamy clay, 

 three of the trees, planted in 1888, showed the following 

 dimensions twenty years later : — 



No. I.— Height 49 ft., girth at 4 ft. from the ground 3 ft. 3! ins. 

 No. 2.— „ 46 ft., „ „ 2 ft. II ins. 



No. 3.— ,, 43 ft-, ,. " 2 ft. 10 ins. 



They were planted in even mixture with larch, most of which 

 have been cut out, leaving a good crop of Douglas firs which are 

 cleaning their stems well. 



Two instances where shelter has greatly benefited the 

 Douglas fir may be mentioned : — In a young plantation on the 

 same estate, a group of larch and Douglas fir was planted about 

 seven years ago. The Douglas firs are very poor indeed, most of 

 them are not much bigger than when planted. The larch are 

 slightly better, the ground being more suited to them than to the 

 Douglas. This group, with the rest of the plantation, has been 

 "brushed" every year, all hazels having been cut down. Ad- 

 joining it on the east or lower side, and on the same 

 soil, is a rough coppice of hazel with a few straggHng oaks. 

 About eleven years ago a number of Douglas firs, oaks, silver 

 firs and larches were planted here and there throughout the 

 wood, but the hazel underwood was allowed to grow. This has 

 sheltered the young trees, which have grown exceedingly well. 

 In 1908, at 9 years of age, the Douglas measured from 16 to 18 

 feet, oak 10 feet, larch 12 feet, silver fir 11 feet. 



Although there is a difference of two years between the ages 

 of the plants in the two groups, it is quite justifiable to say that 

 the older group owes its splendid growth to the shelter provided 

 by the hazel, and I recommended leaving them to grow on the 

 younger portion to serve the same purpose, the heads of the 

 plants to be kept free. 



The other instance is in Coedyfron Wood. At the bottom of 

 this wood is a flat piece of land about 4 acres in extent. This 

 was once a "withy" bed, but had been allowed to get very thin. 

 It was planted up with Douglas fir and spruce in the proportion 

 of 3 spruce to i Douglas. 



The willows that were left, although cut occasionally for 

 basket-making, have served the same purpose as the hazel in 

 the former plantation, and both the Douglas and the spruce are 

 growing splendidly. Douglas firs have been planted regularly 



