THE THIRTIETH ANNUAL EXCURSION. 95 



17. The Thirtieth Annual Excursion, August 1907. 



( With Plate.) 



The Thirtieth Annual Excursion of the Royal Scottish 

 Arboricultural Society was held on 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th 

 August 1907, in the district of Speyside, permission to visit 

 estates there having been kindly granted by the Dowager 

 Countess of Seafield, His Grace the Duke of Richmond and 

 Gordon, Sir George Macpherson Grant, Bart, of Ballindalloch, 

 Mr J. W. Wharton Duff of Orton, and Mr John R. Findlay of 

 Aberlour. Elgin was the headquarters of the Society during 

 the tour, 



FIRST DAY. — Seafield Estates (Castle Grant District). 



A special train conveyed the members to Grantown, where 

 they were welcomed on Lady Seafield's behalf by Mr J. Grant 

 Thomson, wood manager on the estates, who put into the 

 hands of the members a printed programme for the day, which 

 he had very kindly prepared for their use. 



One of the most noteworthy features in Strathspey forestry 

 being the extent to which natural regeneration is carried on, 

 the programme included visits to woods raised by that method. 

 In a Scots pine wood of 16 acres, and about 100 years of age, 

 beside the Highland Railway Station at Grantown, the first 

 stage of regeneration was seen. This wood was recently 

 enclosed, and young natural plants are now appearing among 

 the heather, the presence of which indicates that the conditions 

 are suitable for the natural growth of Scots pine. In certain 

 parts the turf had been upturned, so that the exposed soil might 

 catch the falling seed, and offer it a germinating bed. But the 

 cold and backward weather of the present year having delayed 

 the opening of the cones, fewer young plants were visible than 

 would have appeared in an average year, though on several 

 of the exposed surfaces young seedlings of this year's growth 

 were observed. 



The party then drove to Kylintra Saw-mill, and walked along 

 the public road which intersects woods of about 70 acres in 

 extent. On the left was a thriving young crop of natural Scots 

 pine, growing between and below the old parent trees ; on the 

 right, where the old trees had nearly all been cleared away, was 

 a dense natural crop about 70 years old. 



