ly 



A REPLY to a request made two ijears after the 

 Survey had been taken, when the Farms were to 

 be sold. 



Sir, — Having only this day had it in my power 

 to lay my hands on the Notes of my Survey, &c. 

 of the Woods and Wood-lands of the farms of 

 Mackroy, and East and West Irons, the property 

 of John M'Farlane, Esq. on Lochfine Side, Argyle- 

 shire, I find there is of enclosed and unenclosed 

 wood-lands, chiefly covered with oak and birch, 

 200 acres ; (I beg to say by the way, that with 

 great propriety and advantage more could be add- 

 ed.) The wood-lands on these farms are equal, 

 both as to soil and situation, to the verv best in 

 Scotland, and will be as productive of wood and 

 bark at twenty years old, as many natural woods 

 will be at twenty-five years. Supposing these two 

 hundred acres converted wholly into oak coppice, 

 (for which purpose it only requires the blanks to 

 be rilled up with oak, and the trash extirpated,) 

 and divided into twenty hags or cuttings, making 

 ten acres to cut annually. At twenty years old, 

 the coppice wood and bark, even allowing bark 

 to keep its present low price, will yield at least 

 L.50 per acre, say L.500 annually ; and suppose 

 forty reserve or maiden trees to be reared up on 

 each acre to the age of two cuttings, keeping al- 

 ways a regular succession of forty on each acre 

 amongst the coppice ; these will be worth at least 

 L.2 per tree, which at every second cutting will 

 be worth L.80 more per acre ; but to reduce the 



