74 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



immediately below the surface. A solid log of Scots pine was 

 found last year about 2 feet below the surface. This tree was 

 cut close to the root by a saw, and although we were able to 

 count 115 annual rings, the diameter was only 15 inches. 



Plantation Types. 



The plantations are chiefly made of Sitka spruce {Picea 

 sitcheiisis), Norway spruce {Picea excelsa), Scots pine {Pinus 

 silvestris), Mountain pine {Pinus ?nofitafia var. unci?iaia), with 

 some Picea Omorika and Picea Engelmannii. 



Sitka Spruce. — In March and April 1908 part of the enclosure 

 which follows the course of the river Spean was planted with 

 Sitka spruce. The peat was from 22 inches to 28 inches deep; 

 this was not quite so deep as the average, and was the best 

 quality or first class. A few weeks previous to planting some 

 drains 18 inches deep with a proportional width were dug at a 

 cost of 17s. per acre. The plants were notched at a distance of 

 3 ft. 3 ins. apart, and cost ^\ per acre. The age of the plants was 

 2-year i-year. They were bought from Germany at a very low 

 price, and were planted straight out on their arrival. Some of 

 the plants were so small that the grass had to be burned off the 

 surface to allow of their bemg planted properly. In July igo8 

 the growth of grass threatened to smother some of the smaller 

 plants, so that cutting had to be done, which cost los. per acre. 

 The following summer some more grass had to be cut over the 

 same area at a cost of 13s. 4d. per acre. The plants have now 

 established themselves very well, and look very promising 

 although they are still rather irregular in size. Beating up was 

 considered unnecessary owing to the small number of deaths. 

 In autumn 1908 another piece of the same enclosure was 

 planted with Sitka spruce. The peat was on the whole rather 

 shallow, and only in the hollows did it exceed 26 inches. It 

 was second class quality. A few weeks previous to planting some 

 drains were made 18 inches deep and 16 inches wide, at a 

 cost of 13s. 4d. per acre. The plants were again got from 

 Germany They were 2-year i-year, and on their arrival in 

 November they were immediately planted out. 



In the beginning of the following summer it was observed that 

 nearly all the plants had shed their leaves, and died. There are 

 two reasons for this failure. In the first place, the peat had not 



