FORESTRY AT EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY. 2 1 1 



The work of each subsection was inspected by the lecturer and 

 forester, and such trees as were approved were marked for feUing 

 with red paint. The reasons for rejecting trees marked by the 

 students were fully explained to them. All trees passed for 

 felling in each strip were then cut out by the subsections. 



In the time at the disposal of the party a thinning was com- 

 pleted over half the section of the wood from which the 

 dead trees had been cut out. 



April I. — A visit was paid to Maukinrich (Raith Muir), 

 where the soil was tested with the object of determining the 

 best species to plant on the area. Pits were sunk in various 

 parts of the ground to observe variations in the soil. At a 

 depth of 2 to 2 1 feet a deep, hard, impermeable, blue clay 

 was found. The growth in height, etc., and appearance of 

 the trees in the neighbouring woods was inspected, and 

 it was considered that the best plants to put in would be 

 ordinary spruce and Menzies spruce. 



This piece of work brought the practical course to an end, and 

 the party returned to Edinburgh well pleased with the amount 

 of work got through. 



The fact that the whole of the period passed without a hitch 

 of any kind was due to the excellence of the arrangements made 

 for the party by Mr Munro Ferguson and Lady Helen, who 

 allowed the laundry at Raith to be turned into what proved an 

 excellent dormitory. At a farewell dinner, held on the last night, 

 hearty votes of thanks to them both were passed by the party ; 

 as also to the factor, Mr J. Meiklejohn, and Messrs Mickie, 

 Graham and Grant. To the forester, Mr Grant, the students 

 owe an especial debt, for he accompanied them throughout the 

 whole of the work, and was ever ready to show them how to 

 hold, and use, a spade, bill or axe, whilst he imparted to them 

 valuable items of woodcraft at all times. 



