ARBORICULTURE IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 243 



apparently free from disease. Along the hillside belonging to 

 Clova, Craig, Leithhall, Wardhouse and others, several fine planta- 

 tions are getting up rapidly, and useful sparwood has already been 

 supplied from this district. At Clova the larch grows with a good 

 deal of taper, but the wood is of good quality. Spruce is growing 

 freely on deep moss, and in the garden there is a good specimen of 

 the Araucaria imbricata. Throughout the whole district there is 

 still a great extent of ground — hill and dale — well suited for the 

 growth of trees, and there is not nearly so much planted as the soil 

 and the area of the district seem to warrant. At Kildrummy there 

 are some fine specimen trees, especially larch. Scots fir is also of 

 good quality. The hardwoods in the vicinity of the old castle are 

 growing particularly well considering the district. Large tracts of 

 young wood have been planted on the hills of Ardhuncart and Glas- 

 gul, principally Scots fir and larch. From Kildrummy upwards 

 towards Strathdon young plantations are not so numerous, but there 

 are some good belts and clumps of Scots fir, larch, spruce, and hard- 

 woods at Glenkindie, as also some good specimens of old ash at 

 Mains of Glenbucket. On the estates of Newe the Scots fir are of 

 fine quality, and seem to be in their native habitat. At Forbes 

 Lodge and Edinglassie there are good Scots fir and larch plantations 

 on both sides of the water, with hardwood trees near to the mansion- 

 houses. As yet not much has been sent to the market, as from some 

 plantations it will scarcely pay the carriage. It is, however, used 

 for local and budding purposes, and for whatever is thus required 

 good prices are readily obtained. Pit props from some parts of 

 Strathdon would hardly pay the expense of transit, though got in the 

 plantations free of expense. Wood grows so well throughout this 

 district that it is probable a much greater extent of land will be 

 planted, and if such were the case, the railway might be extended 

 for the special transit of wood. 



Valley of Deveron. — Leaving the Don, the next best wooded dis- 

 trict is on the banks of the Deveron at Huntly Lodge, — the famous 

 Binnhill, one of the largest plantations in the county, being on the 

 north side, not far from the river. It is a mixed plantation of Scots 

 fir, larch, and spruce. Larch is most numerous on the north and 

 west sides, *Scots fir on the south and east sides, with spruce on the 

 mossy ground. The outside boundary line of the whole is Scots fir. 

 The north, east, and west boundary is convex, and the south a 

 double concave. On the north side of the river, from about a mile 

 to the west of the Binnhill to the boundary of the county, a great 



