lyo TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



approaching the latter condition, the natural oak-vvood on Loch 

 Arkaig side may be mentioned. 



Plantations. 



It will be observed that the typical woodland flora in 

 publications on woodlands, is generally recorded in con- 

 nection with woods which have been established for some 

 considerable time. Some attention has therefore been given 

 towards determining at what particular stage in the development 

 of the wood this flora establishes itself. Unfortunately, my 

 observations up to date can be said only to lead to negative 

 conclusions. For observational purposes, several pure and mixed 

 plantations, on the area considered, were examined. The woods 

 in which the ground flora was sufficiently developed for purposes 

 of comparison, exhibited all phases of development, ranging from 

 the "pole" stage to that of mature forest. The plantations were 

 taken in diff"erent localities, and they consisted of various species. 

 The density of stock and uniformity of the canopy differed from 

 plantation to plantation. They were also of different ages, and 

 their past treatment varied. Some, having regard to species 

 and locality, would seem to be "normal" plantations, i.e., fully 

 stocked and developed ; others were not. In all these cases it 

 was observed that, while the majority of the plantations had 

 developed in them quite a vigorous ground flora, no plantation 

 examined could be said to have a typical woodland flora. The 

 oldest e.xamined was planted 200 years ago, whilst the majority 

 ranged in age from 50 to 200 years. This, then, would seem to 

 indicate that, on the area in question, the conditions which are 

 favourable to the development of a typical woodland flora are not 

 established within the period of the first 200 years in the life of 

 the plantation. The exact conditions, and whether they refer 

 specially to the soil or to the amount of shade, are, as yet, 

 undetermined. 



On the other hand, the question of how long a woodland flora 

 will persist under changed conditions may be illustrated. The 

 plantation Tor a Mhiult, Achnacarry, Inverness-shire, occupies 

 the site of a primitive oak forest, and the ground flora to-day is as 

 typically woodland as that described for Loch wood natural oak 

 forest. At present the plantation consists of pure larch {Larix 

 europea), with occasional specimens of spruce {Ficea excelsa) and 

 beech {Fagus sylvatica\ while a few birch and oak trees of the 



