38 REPORT ON THE HOUSTON PINETOI. 



IV. Report on thcHouston Pinetum. By William Tivendale, 

 Forester, Houston, Paisley. 



In the spring of 1867 we were allowed to take about two acres of 

 ground to be planted as a Pinetum. It is situated at an elevation 

 of nearly 100 feet above the level of the sea, and has a north- 

 eastern exposure. The soil is a good light loam, of considerable 

 depth, resting partly on gravel and partly on sand, and is very well 

 adapted for growing most of the coniferous trees. This piece of 

 ground had formerly been enclosed by a dry stone dyke on the 

 south and east, by a stone and lime wall 6 feet high on the west, 

 and by a strong wire fence on the north. The stone and lime wall 

 being on the public road, and in good repair, was allowed to stand, 

 as also the wire fence ; but the dry stone dyke, being no longer 

 required as a fence for cattle, &c, was removed, the small stones 

 being left for bottoming the walks of the pinetum. A row of old 

 hardwood trees being on the side of this fence, under the drop of 

 which pines will not grow, we had to trench a border about 24 feet 

 wide, and as deep as possible, without injuring the roots of the 

 trees. This being done, we proceeded to make the walks ; the soil 

 was taken out to the depth of 12 inches, and 48 inches wide, and 

 put on the trenched border which was to be planted with evergreens. 

 6 inches of small stones were put in the bottom of the walk, which 

 were blinded with an inch of engine ashes ; 3 inches of fine gravel 

 was laid on the top of the ashes, leaving the edge of the walk about 



3 inches high. 



As it. was necessary to keep out hares and rabbits, we put up wire 

 netting, the posts for which were cut from matured larch trees, 



4 feet long, and 3 inches by 2h inches square. They were driven 

 1 foot into the ground, at G feet from post to post ; 6 inches of soil 

 were taken out with the spade all along the outside of the row of 

 posts, and a rafter of larch was nailed to the posts under the natural 

 surface of the ground. A ~No. 8 wire was threaded through the 

 top meshes of the netting as it was being rolled out along the side of 

 the fence ; this wire is strained at the ends of the fence ; the netting 

 is then tightened, and the wire is stapled to the posts, about 2 feet 

 10 inches above the ground, leaving about 2 inches to be stapled to 

 the rafters under the surface, which prevents rabbits from creeping 

 under the wire netting. The soil taken out for the rafter is again put 

 in, and made firm by tramping with the faet, and all made level. 



