84 TRANSACTIONS OF ROVAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



more especially ^(^/>^ ;w/';7/i-. At this moment there are 12,000 

 2-year 2-year, to,ooo 2-year i-year, and 7000 seedlings of 

 fiobtlis growing in the nursery. 



Altitude. 



" The lowest altitude of the plantations on the estate is 800 feet, 

 and the highest about 2000. The bulk of the area planted lies at 

 from 900 to 1 800 feet. At from 900 to 1300 feet the quality 

 of the soil generally is of a rich alluvial nature where nobilis, 

 grandis, Douglas fir, silver fir, and spruce, etc., flourish. At 

 from 1300 to 1800 feet the soil varies much. In many places 

 there are from 6 ins. to 9 ins. of peat with hard gravelly sub- 

 soil. Where peat exists, the plants take some time to get hold 

 of the subsoil, but once they do get their roots down they make 

 steady progress. 



Gro7ii'th. 



"The average yearly growth, say for 30 years, of Scots fir 

 up to an altitude of 1500 feet is from 8 to 10 inches. 



Larch . . about 1 2 inches. 



Spruce to 13C0 feet altitude . . 12 



Nobilis to 1200 „ . .15 



Graiidis ,, ,, . .15 



Douglas „ „ • -15 



Noi'dmanniatia to 1200 feet altitude 9 



Silver fir to 1400 ,, 6 in. to 9 ins. 



"From an altitude of 1500 to 1800 feet the growth is consider- 

 ably less than it is lower down. 



Cost. 



" The cost per acre of planting is made up as follows : — 



Price of plants . . ^\ 14 o 



,, labour . . o 12 o 



„ draining . . 060 



„ fencing . . 100 



Satvmill. 



" Last year a sawmill driven by water-power was erected, and 

 there were sawn from thinnings from the plantations this year 

 2000 larch posts, 500 rails, and a quantity of boards and battens." 



