notes and queries. 257 



The Ring Wood Plantation, Murthly Estate. 



The small but interesting plantation on the Murthly estate, 

 known as the Ring wood, has been seen and admired by many 

 foresters, including the foreign delegates who visited this 

 country on the occasion of the Society's Diamond Jubilee. 

 Unfortunately a portion of this demonstration plot of about 

 I J acres was so much damaged by an unusually severe whirl- 

 wind, which was reflected from a neighbouring shoulder of 

 Birnam Hill, in the winter of 1920, that it became necessary to 

 remove the whole plantation. Measurements, which have been 

 made recently, show that the plantation had attained a height 

 of 50 feet in 22 years with an average quarter-girth of 4I inches 

 at breast-height (4 feet 3 inches), the number of stems of the 

 main crop per acre was 970, basal area 160 square feet, and 

 form-factor under bark, -382. This gives a volume of 3440 

 cub. feet over bark and 3050 cub. feet under bark, quarter- 

 girth measurement, the bark percentage being 11. These data 

 refer to what would have been the main stand, at that age. 

 The following data regarding the thinnings which would have 

 been available at this age must be added :— number of stems 

 220, with a basal area of 14 square feet and a volume of 180 

 and 150 over and under bark respectively. The plantation 

 was formed in the winter of 1899-1900 with 2-year x 2-year 

 transplants, pit planted, on account of their size and the nature 

 of the soil, at 4^ feet apart. No subsequent beating-up was 

 required. No regular thinning took place, but about the year 

 1 9 16 a waggon load of pit-wood was removed in addition to 

 some material for stack props. 



The soil was mainly sand and stones of varying size and 

 practically unproductive for any other form of crop than trees, 

 and even when under trees, owing to its loose stony character, 

 afforded a very poor anchorage for the roots. This feature 

 of the soil was, however, only contributory to the cause of the 

 accident to the plantation in 1920. The plantation, although 

 standing in a sheltered position under the shadow of Birnam 

 Hill to the south (this is literally so, as the shadow of the hill 

 cuts off the direct sunlight from this area for several months 

 in the year), was not protected against sudden swirls or falling 

 winds deflected from the slope. The small size of the planta- 

 tion also rendered it more liable to wind damage. Further, the 

 VOL. xxxvi. part II. s 



