88 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBOklCULTURAL SOCIETY. 



was unfortunately not provided for. It is hoped that in future 

 provision will be made for merit, so that in addition to discovering 

 the best, the Society may also be the means of locating and 

 encouraging skill and enterprise of high merit, abundant evidence 

 of which was to be seen in connection with the nursery and 

 plantation management on the above-mentioned estates. 



In the above list the various entries are arranged in order ot 

 merit, those heading the list in each class being the prize 

 winners. The object in classifying the subjects thus, especially 

 the plantations, is that many of them will still be under 

 25 years of age the next time the Competition is held in this 

 district, and it will, no doubt, be of some interest to compare the 

 present relative order of merit with the then existing condition of 

 the plantations. Of course, it is quite possible by that time the 

 age-classes and conditions of competition may have been 

 altered, so that the classification may be based on different data, 

 but, nevertheless, no matter from what point of view the 

 plantations are judged, that is, as regards age, size, treatment, 

 general condition, general health and vigour of growth, the 

 comparisons will be interesting and valuable. 



In view of experience gained in connection with the recent 

 Competition, the Judges would recommend that on the Nursery 

 Schedule the exact area of the nursery should be stated, and that 

 in the table provided for Nursery Statistics a column should be 

 added for Judges' remarks opposite each entry. A similar table 

 should be provided for seedlings, giving the area of seed-bed ; 

 quantity ot seed sown, source of seed, and time when sown. 



In judging plantations there must always be great difficulty in 

 finding common ground for comparison between a coniferous 

 plantation of, say, 5 or 6 years of age and one of 18 or 23 years 

 of age. The Judges would, therefore, further recommend that 

 for conifers there should be three age-classes, as follows : — 



Class I. Coniferous plantations up to 10 years old. 

 Class II. ,, ,, from 10 to 20 years old. 



Class III. „ ,, from 20 to 40 „ 



A further grouping of plantations into pure plantations and 

 mixed plantations would be desirable. 



The Judges also recommend that prizes for merit should be 

 awarded for those subjects which come above the average 

 standard of excellence. 



