NOTES AND QUERIES. I05 



they destroy many valuable trees by eating the bark, and it is 

 thus necessary to have recourse to tree-guards. Iron guards are 

 expensive, and if wood is employed, there is not only the initial 

 expense, but repairs are always wanted after a few years. A 

 very inexpensive and yet permanent tree-guard may be con- 

 structed in the following way : — Make a circle of stones round 

 the tree about 4 to 6 feet from the bole, placing the largest 

 stones outside in the fashion of a curbstone, and the smaller 

 ones inside to fill up. Neither horses nor cattle will mount upon 

 this, and after the stones have been in position for a time the 

 fresh appearance wears off, and the guard looks like a part ot 

 the tree. The park at Hornby Castle, belonging to His Grace the 

 Duke of Leeds, which extends to over four hundred acres, and is 

 well wooded, has every tree guarded in this manner. 



4. Hotv to extract Seed from Cones. — This season I have 

 gathered a considerable number of cones from spruce, larch, and 

 Scots pine, with the intention of sowing the seed as an experi- 

 ment. My method of extracting the seed is as follows : — The 

 cones are placed over night in a moderately hot oven, and in the 

 morning the scales are wide open. A sharp knock on the small 

 end will then bring out all the seeds, especially those from spruce 

 and Scots pine, which are very easy to manage. Larch seeds 

 are not so easily extracted. 



5. Planting Trees Suitable for Paper-making — At the present 

 time there is a demand in the market for wood to make wood- 

 pulp for paper-making, etc., and this might be a profitable way 

 of planting land that is suitable to the species most in demand 

 for making the pulp. Poplar and white spruce are most prized 

 for the purpose, and grow easily on suitable land, especially 

 the poplar, which is a rapid grower. On several estates in York- 

 shire large tracts of wet land were planted with poplar about 

 twenty years ago, as there was a demand for it in the market at 

 that time for making gunpowder. A change in the market 

 deprived it of its value for this purpose, and the plantation has for 

 several years been regarded as nearly useless. Now, however, it 

 would seem that it may turn out very profitable in the near 

 future. Poplars are easy to grow, but should be kept dense and 

 should be sheltered on the north and north-west by trees which 

 stand wind, for they are easily blown down by high winds, which 

 sometimes causes them to grow bent at the bottom. 



William Hall. 



