168 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
20. A Century of Forestry—1806 to 1906—on the 
Estate of Learney, Aberdeenshire. 
(With Plan.) 
By the late Lieut.-Colonel FRANCIS N. INNEs. 
The following memorandum, with its accompanying sketch- 
plan and schedule, has been drawn up to exhibit a succinct 
account of the Forestry transactions carried on during the past 
Ioo years on an average-sized upland Aberdeenshire estate, 
which contains a fair proportion of arable ground, woodland and 
moorland—thus illustrating the period during which Korestry 
may be said in some measure, although imperfectly, to have 
developed in the North-East of Scotland into an example of 
applied science. 
The Learney Estate comprises’ about 4081 acres, of which 
1870 are arable, 158g are, or have been, under wood, and the 
remaining 622 acres are buildings, roads, water, moorland, etc. 
The elevation of the estate area rises from about 4oo feet 
above sea in the lowest part at Torphins, to 1100 feet on the 
summit of Craigenget (Hill of Learney), and 1500 feet on the 
Hill of Fare, whilst the woodlands run from about 500 feet 
above sea near Torphins to 1080 feet on Craigenget, and to 1110 
feet on the Tillenturk shoulder of the Hill of Fare. 
The average height of the woodland may be taken as about 
800 feet above sea, whilst there are ample examples of exposure 
to all points of the compass, seeing that the Hill of Learney 
forms a part of the main watershed betwixt the valleys of Dee and 
Don. The soil, which in many parts form a very thin covering 
on the underlying granitic rocks, has frequently a light porous 
gravel subsoil, occasionally traversed by layers of “ pan,” and in 
some few parts replaced by clay and peaty formations. 
With exception of the 45 acres or thereby of old home-wood, 
which was planted at a considerably earlier date, the first large 
plantations, consisting principally of larch, were made between 
1806-1825; and up to 1831 little thinning and no clean cutting 
seems to have taken place. During the following period of 13 
years, up to 1844, thinning was carried on, but not to any very 
great extent, and from 1844 down to the present time, thinning, 
clean cutting, planting, and replanting have been carried on, as 
shown by the annexed plan and schedule. 
