THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 83 



"7. Draining. — About 400 miles of drains have been made 

 throughout the plantations, on an average of about 3 chains to 

 the acre. The drains are cast about 18 ins. by 12 ins. by 

 18 ins. deep, and cost from 2s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. a chain. 



" 8. Roads and paths. — The extent of carriage roads made 

 since Sir John purchased the property is about 40 miles ; they 

 are generally from 8 to lo feet wide — and cost from 3s. to 5s. a 

 yard to construct. Walks. — About 45 miles of walks, at a cost 

 of gd. to IS. 6d. per lineal yard, have been made. The walks in 

 the plantations are generally from 4 to 5 feet wide, and the pony 

 tracks through the forest 3 feet wide between the borders. 



" 9. Number of men employed. — There is now an average of 

 40 men employed, but between 1872 and 1890 the number was 

 quite double this. 



" 10. Length of fencing. — There are 40 miles of 6- and 7-lined 

 wire fences, and about 35 miles of deer fence with 9 and 10 

 lines of wire. The ring fences consist principally of heavy iron 

 standards placed at 6 feet apart, with 9 and 10 lines of No. 

 6 wire. The fences enclosing the smaller plantations are 

 supported principally with wooden posts (larch and tarred) ; the 

 posts are placed at 6 feet apart. The cost of the lower fences 

 is from is. to is. 6d. a yard, and of the higher from is. 6d. to 

 2S. 6d. a yard. 



General Remarks. 



Nursery. 



"In 1872, immediately Sir John acquired the property, a 

 nursery was begun; and in 1873, 400,000 i-year i-year Scots fir 

 plants were laid in lines, and for the following 25 to 30 years 

 the numbers varied from 100,000 up to 2,000,000 plants. The 

 practice adopted was buying i-year i-year or 2-year seedlings, 

 the former being always preferred when obtainable. The home 

 nursery proved most beneficial, as it hardened the plants and 

 considerably reduced the deaths in planting out. 



" In addition to the rearing of the young plants bought in 

 from outside sources, a considerable number of plants were raised 

 from seed obtained from cones of the old Caledonian fir trees on 

 the Binion (near Adverikie), and eighty to one hundred thousand 

 trees from this seed are now growing into timber on the estate. 



" In more recent years seed of some of the rarer varieties 

 growing on the estate has been taken and sown in the nursery. 



