THE THIRTIETH ANNUAL EXCURSION. 99 



FOURTH DAY. — Seafield Estate, Abernethy. 



The party started early for Cromdale Station, where they were 

 again met by Mr Grant Thomson and other estate officials. As 

 in the case of the first day's excursion, Mr Thomson had kindly 

 prepared a programme. Tominourd, a long hill about two 

 miles north from Cromdale Station, rising to about 800 feet 

 above the level of the Spey and about 1400 feet above sea-level, 

 was first visited. An area of 1030 acres was planted in 1826, 

 the plantation being about seven miles in circumference. It was 

 enclosed in 1865 for the purpose of being naturally regenerated, 

 and it now carries an exceptionally thriving young crop of larch 

 and Scots pine. Parent trees are still standing from the base to 

 the summit, but in course of time, as the seedlings grow up, these 

 will be removed. Seedlings were seen of a year or two's growth, 

 their heads just appearing above the heather, while others were 

 a foot or two higher ; but there were numbers of acres carrying 

 trees which had reached a height of from 8 to 15 feet. They 

 were all looking vigorous and healthy. When the wood was 

 first thinned to allow the seedlings to spring up, sheep were 

 allowed to pasture on the hill. Trees will not thrive under such 

 conditions. When snow covers the hills and the herbage is 

 scarce, the sheep are obliged to eat their tender shoots, with the 

 result that the leaders disappear. In time new leaders appear, 

 but valuable years are thus lost; and as it is acknowledged 

 that sheep must be banished in order to ensure healthy and 

 vigorous trees, about six years ago sheep were excluded from 

 this hill. The effects of the nipping off the tops are still seen, 

 particularly in the larch, but the greater proportion of the young 

 pine trees have got their new leaders, and the older larches have 

 quite reasserted themselves. There were many spots of con- 

 siderable area where no seedlings were visible, but it was said 

 that time only was required to clothe the whole hill from top to 

 bottom with a forest of trees as thick as they could possibly 

 grow. 



After leaving Tominourd the party drove about nine miles up 

 the banks of the river Spey to see the natural woods of Skye and 

 Curr. The former was merely examined from the road, as there 

 was no time to make a more careful inspection of it. Curr 

 plantation (see Plate X. Fig. i) was, however, carefully examined. 

 It extends to 250 acres, and was enclosed in 1874. It contains 



