82 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
Walter C. Stunt, Lorenden, Kent; Jas. Tait, Penicuik; Jas. 
Wm. Watt, Carlisle; E. Whittinghame, Newport, Salop; Jas. 
Whytock, Dalkeith ; Edward Wiseman, Elgin; Ralph J. Wylam, 
Lambton. 
On Tuesday morning a start was made for Alnwick Castle, 
the seat of the Duke of Northumberland, but owing to an 
unfortunate breakdown in the weather a considerable part 
of the day’s programme which had been mapped out by 
Mr Gillanders, the head forester on the estates, who acted as 
guide to the party, had to be abandoned. 
The party arrived at Alnwick at 11 o’clock, and scarcely had 
the day’s proceedings commenced when a violent thunderstorm, 
accompanied by torrential rain, broke, and continued with more 
or less severity till mid-afternoon. Before they had to seek 
shelter, however, Mr Gillanders was able to show the Excur- 
sionists a small experiment which he had commenced in order 
to ascertain how plantations of ordinary broad-leaved trees 
formed on grass land and bare ground respectively would be 
affected by (a) allowing the herbage in the former case to have 
free scope, and (4) by keeping the latter continuously under 
hoe and rake. One of the well-equipped estate nurseries was 
next visited, but by this time the rain had commenced to de- 
scend in torrents, and shelter had to be sought. Taking 
advantage of lulls in the storm, the party made their way on 
foot by way of the Castle and the beautiful gardens to the 
White Swan Hotel, where they were kindly entertained to 
luncheon by the Duke of Northumberland. Mr Fothringham 
proposed a vote of thanks to his Grace for his hospitality, and 
for allowing the party to visit his property, and to Mr Gillanders 
for his trouble in arranging the Excursion. Thereafter a 
visit was paid to one of the estate saw-mills. Here much of 
interest was seen. Besides ordinary wood-working machinery 
and creosoting plant, one or two novel features in estate 
work were observed. One of these was the conversion into 
wire fencing material of old steel pit winding-ropes. These old 
ropes are purchased at about £2, 1os. per ton, and, by special 
appliances, they are unwound and the strands composing them, 
after being dipped in hot coal-tar, are used as ordinary fencing 
wire. Another novelty seen here was the Hoe “chisel-tooth” 
circular saw, an American invention, in which the teeth are 
detachable from the disc ; but its work did not produce a very 
