238 PRESENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF 



was planted for lis. 6d. per acre, one-fifth of the plants being larch; 

 and in 1867 the hill of Hilton was planted for 10s. per acre. Since 

 that time prices have gradually increased, the same class of planting 

 costing 30s. per acre at Glenmillan this year. The Learney woods 

 are extensive compared with the extent of the property. A great 

 deal has been cut there lately. On the Hill of Fare, which extends 

 from Learney to Echt, including part of Crathes and Midmar, the 

 larch is frequently covered with "moss" sometimes 8 or 10 inches 

 in length, — and yet the wood does well and is of fair quality. The 

 Scotch fir does not succeed so well on this hill, except on low 

 grounds, but in some of the glens on the north side there are 

 specimens of very large dimensions. The north-east, east and west 

 sides of this hill are well wooded, but not the north and south sides, 

 although they are in every way suitable for growing good wood. 



A large portion of a long ridge of hill stretching almost from Dee- 

 side to Don, through the parishes of Kincardine O'l^eil, Craigievar, 

 Tough, Cluny, and Monymusk, has been recently planted by the 

 several proprietors, especially on the south and east slopes. A 

 large portion of this hill was planted by contract at from 18s. to 

 22s. per acre, and has been quite a success. The trees are prin- 

 cipally larch and Scots fir, with spruce in the soft and mossy ground. 

 Though planted at intervals during the last twenty years, the hill 

 side begins to have a uniform appearance, so that the district will 

 soon be considerably changed and the climate ameliorated. This 

 tract of plantation is mostly virgin soil, having been planted in 

 heather land. The greatest drawback to its growth is a moorband 

 pan, which often occurs near the surface, the portions where it occurs 

 most frequently have been partially drained, to counteract the pan if 

 possible. Most of the plants are doing well and growing rapidly. 

 In the Cluny district there are some splendid Scots fir plantations, 

 the size of the trees and quality being second to none in the county, 

 if we except the famed wood of Ballochbuie on Deeside. Larches 

 are also large and of good quality, but not nearly so numerous as 

 the former. The districts of Craigievar and Tough are fairly wooded, 

 but not to the extent that the waste land and the hill ground seems 

 to warrant. Towards the lower end of Tough, and about the centre 

 of Cluny, on some small properties, a good deal of wood has been 

 cut recently, but little planting has been done. Echt, Skene, and 

 Castle Fraser are all well wooded, the second crop being in some 

 instances almost fit for cutting. In proportion to its extent, the 

 parish of Echt is the best wooded in the county. Since the estate 



