242 PRESENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF 



be no difficulty in maintaining, and in a few years increasing, the 

 revenue, so that the arboricultural prospects will compare favourably 

 with the past, especially as there is a great extent of wood (Scots 

 lir and larch) ranging from fifteen to fifty years old. The Castle 

 Forbes woods are in many respects similar to Monymusk, and for 

 many years a great trade in manufactured wood has been carried on. 

 Larch and Scots fir of large size are now becoming scarce; but there 

 is still a good extent of well-grown wood, between fifty and sixty 

 years old, on both sides of the river between Benachie and Cairn 

 William.* The young plantations are principally larch and Scots 

 fir, the former predominating and thriving best. Most of these 

 young plantations have been planted on virgin soil, and they 

 promise to yield a handsome revenue at no distant date. In the 

 parks around the castle there are good specimen trees of most of the 

 common hardwoods and firs, and a few newer coniferse have been 

 lately introduced. On the right bank of the Don, above Castle 

 Forbes, the plantations are more detached, the principal ones being 

 on "Whitehaugh, Littlewood, and Braes of Forbes ; a number of them 

 have been recently formed. 



On the left bank of the river the principal plantations are at 

 Tonley, Lynturk, Haighton, Breda and Brux. At all these places 

 Scots fir and larch are the principal crop, and are growing in small 

 plantations, belts, and clumps. There are also some fine old trees 

 in the parks near the mansion-houses, but except the beeches at Breda, 

 and some fine hardwoods at the Kirk of Tough, none of them require 

 special notice. In the Cushnie and Towie districts, larch and Scots 

 fir thrive moderately well, but there is comparatively little wood 

 grown. A great part of the land suited for growing wood is at 

 present pastured or lying waste, and some of the cultivated land 

 would yield a higher rent under wood than under rotation cropping. 

 The probabilities therefore are that a great extent of wood will be 

 grown in these districts at no distant date. 



Beturning to the north side *of the Don, there are some good 

 mixed fir plantations, extending from the Braes of Forbes towards 

 the Clova district. Although these are not so extensive as the 

 woods of Castle Forbes and Monymusk, still they add considerably 

 to the value and appearance of the district. 



In some of the glens, particularly at the Burn of Craig, there are 

 fine larches from seventy to ninety years old, tall, straight, and 



* Since the above was written, 300 acres of this wood have been sold for the 

 sura of L. 17. 000. 



