72 



are not four trees to an acre, so that in a few years* 

 the trees will be worth much more than the proprie- 

 tor paid for all the lands. It may be worthy of ob- 

 servation here, that the whole of these trees could be 

 gained by about an outlay of L.50 for men thinning, 

 dressing, and enclosing. I may also observe, that 

 the wealthy proprietor has an immense number more 

 on his extensive properties in that country, and has 

 set about these and other improvements with spirit 

 and life. I beg to add, that a great quantity of ex- 

 cellent timber trees could in this way be reared up 

 for the British navy. — None that ever travelled from 

 the head of Glenshira to the farthest part of Kintyre, 

 or from Inverary to Campbelltown, without going one 

 inch off his road, but must have seen thousands of 

 such stools, and if such a quantity of timber can be 

 reared, and a vast sum of money realized from a few 

 stools, thereby yielding so great a profit to one indi- 

 vidual ; what would be gained to numbers by attend- 

 ing to it on the same extent, and this is but a small 

 portion to what I could mention, and all this, I had 

 almost said, within a rope's length of where vessels 

 could take the timber of them on board? 



I have often been surprised at the supineness of 

 many of the proprietors in this part of the country, 

 especially those who, almost a nod from them, so to 

 speak, could rear up such properties to themselves 

 and their posterity, — ornamental to their estates, and 

 embelishments to the whole country, and my surprise 

 is the more, having had the honour to be on many of 

 their lands, and above all things, with my tongue and 

 my pen, impressed on them this easy and profitable im- 

 provement. I hope and trust this volume will help 

 to awaken them from the strange lethargy in which 



