36 NOTES ON TREES. 



quickly, and, being of more rapid growth, frees itself from 

 danger in a shorter period. With Sitka spruce strong- 

 plants are decidedly preferable for planting out; two-year 

 two-year plants of moderate growth give much better 

 results than two-year one-year. The smaller sizes of the 

 former should be planted among short herbage, and the 

 stronger ones where the growth is more profuse. It also 

 succeeds better among soft grass than common spruce or 

 any other plant that has been tried. With these reserva- 

 tions there seems to be little to choose between common 

 and Sitka spruce in their requirements. Neither of them 

 does well among ling ; in fact, unless there is a good 

 proportion of grass among it, results are unsatisfactory. 

 Neither do they succeed well on hard slopes or on sandy or 

 gravelly banks. Where they have been tried on doubtful 

 ground, with a varying proportion of plants inimical to 

 them, results have been somewhat similar, the Sitka, if 

 anything, showing greater vitality. 



White American spruce (Picea alba) has recently been 

 tried on a poor class of land with a growth of hair-grass, 

 purple molinia, bent-grass, and a little deer's-hair. It has 

 made a good start, equal to, if not better than, the other 

 varieties of spruce. All varieties of spruce are most suc- 

 cessful with late spring planting. 



Silver Fir. The common silver fir (Abies pectinata) 

 gives promise of being a most valuable tree in suitable 

 situations in the West of Scotland. It is exacting regard- 

 ing soil quality, and should only be planted where the 

 herbage indicates a high or at least moderate degree of 

 fertility, and no evidence of excessive moisture for 

 example, tall fesca, rushes, spiraea, or iris. It succeeds 

 well among bracken, but requires attention for several 

 years if the bracken- crop is dense; where the latter is 

 thin, with an undergrowth of good grasses, the firs require 

 little or no attention. Frost-holes should not be planted, 

 however good they may be. Soils where hair-grasses are 



