76 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



conditions exist along with the worst possible soil conditions, 

 the task of successfully establishing a forest cover becomes a 

 very difficult one indeed. And this is just what one finds at 

 Loch Ossian. The lowest altitude, the level of the loch, is 

 1269 feet above sea-level. The area to be covered here 

 consists of barren peat interspersed here and there with 

 ' knobbies ' of rather better mineral soil. The peat varies in 

 depth, and where it is shallow a hard ' pan ' or impenetrable 

 layer frequently occurs comparatively near the surface, between 

 the peat and the mineral soil. When such unfavourable con- 

 ditions are considered, the results achieved at Loch Ossian 

 are all the more remarkable. The chief facts brought out in 

 this very interesting and extensive planting experiment are : — 



" {a) The unsuitability of Scots pine as a timber tree for 



such high altitudes. 

 " {[>) The absolute failure of notching-in as the planting 



system, under the conditions obtaining at Loch 



Ossian. 

 " {c) The great success attending the Belgian ^ method of 



planting by means of the trowel spade on the 



upturned turfs, so far as it can be judged from 



four years' growth. 



" As has already been remarked, the notching-in method 

 of planting, even under the best conditions, does not lead 

 to uniformly good results. Where climatic and soil conditions 

 are so unfavourable as at Corrour, notching-in has been proved 

 to be wholly unsuitable. The system introduced from Belgium 

 by Dr Augustine Henry's advice, namely, that of planting on 

 upturned turfs, follows the continental principle of devoting 

 the largest proportion of the outlay to preparation of the forest 

 soil, and permits the use of smaller plants, which adapt them- 

 selves more readily than older transplants to change from 

 a favourable to an unfavourable environment. Another great 

 advantage of following this system is the facility with which 

 the roots of the plants can be placed in an uncramped, natural 

 position. By the notching-in method, unless very great care 

 is taken by the planter, the roots of the plants are apt to be 

 doubled up and twisted to such an extent that the root-system 

 is often permanently damaged, the growth of the whole plant 

 is severely checked, and the foundation is probably laid for 

 fatal attacks by root-fungi and other parasitic enemies.- No 



^ See Trans., Vols. XX. and XXIII. - See Trans., Vol. XXIII. p. in. 



