THE GLENCORSE SMOKE CASE, 22 1 



29. The Glencorse Smoke Case. 



By Marion I. Newkigin, D.Sc. 



On page 15 of the present volume of these Transactions^ the 

 chemical aspects of this case were considered by Dr Lauder. 

 It may be of interest to add to that article a short consideration 

 of the botanical aspects, which present some points of con- 

 siderable importance. 



As already explained by Dr Lauder in the paper alluded to, 

 the origin of the case was the fact that in the year 1877, 

 coincident with the beginning of the calcination of ironstone 

 by the Shotts Iron Company, the plantations on the lands of 

 Glencorse began to show signs of damage, declared by the 

 owner — Lord Justice-General Inglis — to be the result of the 

 fumes evolved from the burning bings. A first arrangement 

 was made between the parties whereby the process of calcination 

 was to be carried on only during the winter months of the year, 

 in the hope that the damage to vegetation would then be less ; 

 but ultimately, as the plantations showed signs of increasing 

 damage, a lawsuit was begun early in 1881, which was later 

 carried, on the appeal of the Company, to the House of Lords. 



Taking first the points as regards the appearance of the 

 plantations, we find that it was scarcely denied by the 

 appellants, in the final case, that the plantations went back 

 in 1877, but they attributed this fact especially to the cold 

 and wet seasons of 1876 and 1877. With respect to the 

 coniferous trees, which were most injured, they said that 

 their condition was due to over-crowding, want of drainage, 

 bad soil, climate, planting under deciduous trees— especially 

 beeches — and also to the attacks of fungi and insects. While, 

 however, maintaining that the unhealthy appearance of the 

 plantations was due to these causes, they also asserted that the 

 two years immediately preceding the appeal had produced an 

 improvement in the appearance of the plantations. 



In reply to these statements, the respondent naturally pointed 

 out that if these causes were the sole causes, then it was 

 remarkable that all should show themselves simultaneously 

 in the year 1877, for the first time. He stated also that the 

 fact that signs of injury became apparent all over the planta- 



1 On p. 15 this case was erroneously called the Loganbuni instead of the 

 Glencorse Smoke Case. 



