FORESTRY EXHIBITION AT CUPAR. 103 



of preservation, insects injurious to trees, collections of tools, 

 working-plans and maps, photographs, etc. Among these the 

 exhibit belonging to W. Parkin Moore, Esq., of Whitehall, 

 Mealsgate, Cumberland, arranged by Mr P. Murray Thomson, 

 factor, probably attracted more notice than any other single 

 exhibit has done during the twelve years that the forestry 

 exhibition has been organised It was composed of samples 

 of the material forming an old pit-bank, that from the surface 

 showing the herbage natural to it, and that from the under- 

 lying layers giving an idea of the unpromising nature of the 

 soil. Specimens of larch, Scots pine, beech, alder, birch, oak, 

 spruce, etc., all grown on the pit-bank, were shown, as it were, 

 />/ situ. The result would have been almost incredible had it 

 not been for an excellent series of photographs which showed 

 the rate of growth of the plantation as a whole, together with 

 the comparative rate of growth of the several species. 



The exhibit was of a highly educative nature, showing as 

 it did what could be done not only in the way of beautifying 

 blots in the landscape, but of turning them to good account 

 by establishing crops of trees upon them. The judges 

 considered that they were justified in recommending for this 

 exhibit the highest award, a gold medal, and this opinion was 

 evidently endorsed by most of the visitors to the exhibition. 

 It is to be hoped that more may be learned of this interesting 

 experiment.^ 



The exhibition, as a whole, compared well with the majority 

 of those of former years, and it may fairly be said to have been 

 above the average. 



1 Vide Mr P. Murray Thomson's illustrated paper at p. 30. 



