THE VEGETATION OF WOODLANDS. 1 39 



Since much of the waste land below 1500 feet altitude is 

 degenerate forest, it indicates places where shelter and other 

 climatic conditions are favourable to tree-growth. It has 

 already been pointed out that degeneration of woods leads to 

 considerable changes in the soil, all unfavourable to tree-growth, 

 and these must be reckoned with. But where forest was, it 

 should be possible to establish forest again. Such places are 

 indicated by the natural vegetation. Thus, well-drained heathery 

 land (not heather bog) generally indicates suitable places for 

 such trees as Scots pine. Bracken is an indication of a soil at 

 least six or nine inches deep, moist, yet well drained, and not 

 peat, because only in these conditions can the underground 

 stems of this fern survive ; the conditions are therefore suitable 

 for afforestation. 



17. The Home Timber Trade Outlook.^ 



By Donald Mu.nro (of Messrs A. & G. Paterson, Ltd., Wood 

 Merchants, Banchory). 



After having referred briefly to the foreign and colonial timber 

 trade, Mr Munro said: — Now, gentlemen, I come to a subject 

 which, if not nearer to your hearts, is certainly nearer to your 

 homes. The outlook regarding our own home timber trade is 

 much worse than anything I have pictured to you From my 

 own experience I can say that in Scotland we are pretty near the 

 end of our resources. We seem to have been cutting down 

 timber with what I might term " a cheerful abandon," never 

 pausing for a moment to consider the question of re-planting. 

 Many people are under the impression that we possess very large 

 resources in the North, — resources that, according to them, have 

 not been tapped. This, however, is not the case ; for although 

 there is still a good deal of wood in Ross and Cromarty, Inver- 

 ness, Elgin and Moray, and Banff shires, there is not more than 

 sufficient to keep going the mills already working in these 

 counties during many years. The same story is also appli- 

 cable to the once great timber areas in Perthshire, Argyllshire, 

 Forfarshire, Dumfriesshire and Ayrshire. 



' An address delivered before the Aberdeen branch of the Royal Scottish 

 Arboricultural Society, on Jan, 14, 191 1. 



