EARLY TREE-PLANTING IN SCOTLAND. 1 9 



Fir trees in Braemar, uses the words " woods, natural grown 

 and other," which seem to imply that some planting had been 

 done there previous to the date named (19). 



That native trees were grown from seed in the course of the 

 seventeenth century is shown from letters (dated 1637) of the 

 Earl of Lauderdale and of the Marchioness of Hamilton (date 

 probably 1630-1632), both of whom speak of using fir seed for 

 planting. The Marchioness speaks of Lord Lindsay, her 

 godson, as a very great planter also (13). 



The above records all pre-date the appearance of John 

 Evelyn's Sylva, or a Discourse of Forest Trees, which was read 

 to the Royal Society on 15th October 1662, and published 

 soon after as a separate work. One of its chief objects was to 

 stimulate landowners to plant trees ; and while more directly 

 applying to England, it would no doubt have effect with the 

 Scottish noblemen and gentlemen, who, following the accession 

 of the Stuarts to the English throne, were becoming more 

 accessible to Anglian influences. 



The first published writings on Scottish tree-planting appeared 

 before the end of the seventeenth century, and it is somewhat 

 curious to find that the earliest was (like Evelyn's work) a 

 communication to the Royal Society. 



^\\t. Philosophical Transactions {qx 1675 contain a letter from 

 Dr J. Beal, partly devoted to Some hints for the Horticulture of 

 Scotlatid {y>y>- 361, 362), in which the writer urges the advantages 

 of developing gardens and nurseries of fruit trees, and suggests 

 that the seeds of the Hemlock tree, Spruce and Cedars may do 

 well in the north. Beal comments on the use and quick success 

 which would attach to kitchen gardens, one advantage being, as 

 he puts it, that they would "employ thousands of poor at good 

 work." This final commendation has a curious sound of our 

 own day about it, and of our talk about "back to the land" 

 and afforestation as a means of alleviating unemployment, 

 recommendations which find support not only from Royal 

 Commissioners and the current sentiment of the day, but 

 apparently possess the advantage of antiquity and, like all good 

 old things, the capacity of repetition through the centuries. 



In 1683, the fiist book on the subject appeared in the form of 

 The Scots Gard]ner, in iwo parts, the first of contriving gardens, 

 orchards, avenue\i, groves . . . the second of the propagation and 

 improvement of Forrest and Fruit-trees. . . . Published for the 



