7O TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
VIII. Votes on the Rate of Growth of Mature Timber-Crops in 
Eastern Perthshire. By the Hon. Epiror. 
The details given in the following Table refer to measurements 
made on good average stems, in timber-crops of about go 
years of age, growing on soil of good quality and varying from 
loam to stiff clay, and under climatic conditions that are mild, 
equable, and fairly dry (average rainfall 27 inches, most of 
which falls during summer and autumn). 
The woods are mostly coniferous, and consist chiefly of Scots 
pine, still largely interspersed with larch and spruce, although 
there was probably a greater proportion of larch formerly. So 
far as is known, the past treatment of the woods was the 
common enough process of ‘‘thinning out” the best poles “to 
let the others come up,” and probably the larch was cut out to 
the largest extent, as being most in demand and best paid. 
Numerous stumps of trees show that up to about 65 or 70 
years of age the rate of growth was decidedly good, while since 
then it has (as the measurements below indicate) in many cases 
been very poor indeed. Regarded as crops of timber the woods 
are all fully mature, and in some portions over-mature, although 
the stems are still small in girth for their age—owing, most 
probably, to the past method of treatment as regards “thinning.” 
Even in the best-wooded portions the crops are thin and irregular. 
In most parts much of the best larch has been cut out, so that what 
were probably only the inferior poles of this species have been 
left, many of which are now unsound in the heart, especially 
where the soil is moist. 
The measurements were made by means of a Pressler’s borer 
or increment-gauge, and with the following results, compartment 
by compartment :— 
| gs. | E28 sg | £888 
! Ass (Ca ll ES Ss (CS ll ES 
Kind of Tree. PE amen hee Kind of Tree. 2S ie ae 
ame | Bote am? |Sasee 
Sees |\246-5 Zs |e ws 
oe | Eee oa~ | Bene 
|Z © ous o 
| ft. ins ft. ins. 
Pine? pases 12 Pine . 4 0 19 
Larch 2 II 17 Dow, 3 9 22 
Oak 3 8 II Dome 3. 0 I2 
Do. ee eek 9 Larch 4 4 6 
Pine | 4 3 14 a z 6 4 
Do. | jie ; Do. 3 12 
Do. Fy eee 14 Pay a 
Larch | 3 10 13 Pine | Saag 10 
Do. eas erG 15 Do. | 4 10 II 
Spruce 4.18 12 Larch | 2 II 
1 All the pine are Scots pine. 
