July 1902.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 261 



pit, mixing with it several cartloads of half-rotten dung and 

 half-rotten leaves. The plants simply rushed into immense 

 growth in this new bed. There were also large clumps of 

 rhododendrons made in gravel areas. The soil being 

 limited to the clump, we top-dressed heavily with cow 

 manure, which produced the finest foliage and splendid 

 clusters of flowers on the best-named varieties of rhodo- 

 dendrons. 



We were very successful in planting conifers in pits in a 

 macadamised road for the purpose of concealing a long range 

 of buildings. Some forty trees of Cupressus Lawsoniana, 

 nearly 20 feet high, with good balls, were planted in a 

 trench 2 feet deep and 12 feet wide, from which the old road 

 metal had been removed, and fresh soil was then filled in 

 round the roots. This work was done in the autumn, and the 

 following season they grew away and became quite established. 

 These trees now form a fine feature by the side of the 

 carriage drive. 



I have treated my subject of tree planting mostly from 

 an ornamental point of view. In expressing practical 

 opinions regarding tree planting there must be a decided 

 distinction made between planting for ornament and 

 planting for utility and profit. The circumstances of our 

 country are such that there is plenty of room for both. 



(1) As to utility and profit. — There are many 

 thousands of acres on hillsides, on bog lands, and other 

 places, that can only be called waste land. Patches of 

 these waste lands that have been planted with trees prove 

 that excellent timber can be grown on them ; but planting 

 on a large scale is too gigantic a work, and the profits to 

 be realised too long to be waited for, to expect private 

 enterprise to do it as it ought to be done. The Govern- 

 ment should, and must eventually, take up this work ; 

 and the sooner the better, for until this is done the 

 planting and best cultivation of e.xteusive crops of timber 

 will not be carried out with the capital and the scientific 

 knowledge that work of such national importance demands. 



One reason for calling it of national importance is that 

 the climatic condition is ameliorated. High barren lands 

 and large waste tracts destitute of trees are mostly so 

 exposed and arid that neither animal nor vegetable life 



