248 PRESENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF 



difficult to have the plantations thinned judiciously in due time. 

 The usual plan is to leave all alone until they are fit for pit- 

 wood, &c, or till the strong overgrow the weak. This apparent 

 difficulty may in the future be more easily overcome than at 

 present. 



In agricultural and grazing districts, where the principal con- 

 sideration in growing wood is other than its pecuniary value, the 

 proper conservation should be the chief aim in the management. 

 On several estates in the county this is at present the principal 

 object, and in agricultural districts it is often the most profitable 

 management that can be adopted, and as its indirect benefits are 

 seen, it will be more general than at present. 



The largest ornamental plantations are in the parks and policies 

 of Haddo House, Fyvie, Pitfour, Parkhill, Dunecht, Fetternear, and 

 Keithhall. Scots fir, larch, and spruce are the trees mostly grown 

 throughout the county, but it may be interesting to note where good 

 specimens of the following trees may be found : — 



Norway Spruce [Abies excelsa) — Aboyne, Invercauld, Abergeldie, 



Midmar, Monymusk, Whitehaugh, Castle Forbes, Haddo 



House, and Huntly Lodge. 

 Silver Fir (Picea pectinata) — Pitfour, Strichen, Huntly Lodge, 



Cluny, Midmar, Ballater, Invercauld, Breda, Haughton, 



Monymusk, Hazelhead, and Culter. 

 Plane (Acer Pseudo-Platanus) — Craibstone, Kinmundy, Leithhall, 



Glenkindy, Newe, Cluny, Abojme, Castle Fraser, Drum, and 



Monymusk. 

 Alder (Almis glutinosa) — Birse, Aboyne, Invercauld, Huntly Lodge, 



Delgaty, Haughton, Breda, Strichen, Culter, and Drum. 

 Horse Chestnut (^Esculus Hippocastanum) — Craibstone, Culter, 



Edit, Pitfour, Balning, Skene, Aboyne, and Invercauld. 

 Birch (Betula alba) — Invercauld, Abergeldie, Birkhall, Finzean, 



Aboyne, Breda, Kildrummy, Ballogie, Cluny, Monymnsk, and 



Haughton. 

 Hawthorn (Cratcegus oxyacantha) — Aberdeen, Pitcaple, Cluny, 



Leithhall. 

 Spanish Chestnut (Castanea vulgaris) — Waterton near Ellon, 



Pitfour, Tonley, Monymusk, Castle Fraser, and Aboyne. 

 Beech (Fagus sylvatica) — Huntly Lodge, Aboyne, Balfling, Cluny, 



Philorth, Pitfour, Kemnay, Echt, Midmar, Hallhead, Meldrum, 



Balbithan. 



