EXCURSION TO THE LOVAT ESTATES. 213 



fir and larch, aged loo years, was visited next. Not only 

 here, but throughout the whole route, magnificent specimens of 

 old timber were inspected. Assynt Hill was rapidly gone over. 

 The crop here was larch, Scots fir, and Douglas fir, fi-om 20 

 to 23 years old. Some few years ago larch disease was 

 rampant in the larch plantations, but the cutting out of diseased 

 stems, and underplanting with such valuable conifers as Douglas 

 fir, Sitka spruce, Lawson's cypress, Hemlock spruce, Thuja 

 gigantea, Abies gra?idis and silver fir, seem to be putting a stop to 

 the ravages of the disease. When the crop had been thinned 

 and underplanted, it presented a magnificent appearance. The 

 Grandis seemed to be in a more flourishing condition than the 

 Sitka, but the Hemlocks were the best of the lot. The Sitka, 

 however, were planted later than the others, and they do not 

 get on well in a damp soil. A break of silver fir which was 

 planted in among the larch seemed to be doing well, but in 

 the open silver fir makes no great headway. The ages of the 

 young underplanted plots ranged from i to 4 years. 



Several patches of the larch plantation were left unthinned — 

 they will be thinned in time — and they presented a very scraggy 

 appearance. The diseased stems were seen at a glance, and 

 the ground was rank with coarse grass, whins and brackens. 

 Plots of spruce were forging ahead, and were much better in 

 every way than the larch. A plot of Thuja gigantea, which 

 was planted last spring, appeared to be doing very well in 

 the shade. The larch in the centre of the plantation was not 

 nearly so good as that on the outskirts. This was perhaps due 

 to the quality of the seeds. The following will give an indication 

 of the revenue derived from the thinnings. The smaller posts 

 or stakes are sold at 2s. a dozen, the middle-sized ones at 

 3s. 6d. a dozen, and the large ones at 4s. a dozen, or 4d. each. 

 The cost of dressing them is 2d., 3d., and is. per dozen 

 respectively. Much damage is being done to the young larch 

 and Scots fir plantations on the Meannchnoc by black game. 

 About two years ago a plot was planted with strong, healthy 

 firs, and another with smaller ones. The first got away beyond 

 the reach of the black game all right, but the latter plot was 

 attacked, and the plants are stunted and bushy. This was 

 merely tried as an experiment, but the expense was rather 

 heavy. On the Broomhill and the Old Nursery the Douglas 

 firs were making great headway ; so, too, were the other conifers. 



