STIMULUS GIVEN TO PLANTING. 43 



that she sold her jewels in order to enable her to 

 plant Binning Wood, which embraced 1,000 acres, and 

 was formed in 1705, while a great impetus was given 

 later on to the introduction of the tribe of Conifera 

 by Douglas, who went to North-west America as a 

 botanical collector. 



The influence of the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society of Scotland has given a great impetus to 

 planting during the present century, in offering pre- 

 miums for the introduction'bf new timber trees. From 

 the transactions reported by that institution, it appears 

 that the Earl of Seafield planted the enormous 

 number of 30,000,000 of young trees upon land ex- 

 ceeding in space 8,000 acres. The Duke of Argyle 

 planted very largely in Scotland, and also at Whitton, 

 near Hounslow. The Duke of Richmond planted 

 1,000 cedars of Lebanon at Goodwood, five years of 

 age, a tree which ought to be much more generally 

 planted than it is. It will grow well and flourish in 

 elevated positions, on rocky or stony soil, amidst a 

 loose stone formation, whence the roots from the tree 

 can fix itself amongst their interstices. Indeed, for the 

 purposes of timber, the wood of the cedar is harder 

 and more durable than when grown on the richer 

 soil of the low lands, in which it is nearly always met 

 with in this country, being often looked upon more 

 as an exotic than the hardy tree which it is. 



The Princess Dowager of Wales established the 

 arboretum at Kew, which now occupies such a fore- 

 most place as a school for the attainment of practical 

 botanical knowledge, which has served as a model 

 for the imitation of country towns, while the taste for 

 plantations is said to have been imbibed from these 



