2182 ARBORETUM AND FRUT1CETUM. PART III. 



trees are much crowded, and of nearly an equal size, especially when situated 

 near a road or river, where timber is of most value; but this is not attended 

 to in the more remote parts of the forests. I have only seen the trees 

 pruned when they stand quite thin, or, from having lost their leading shoots, 

 by sheep pasturing the ground, or other casualty, have become bushy. In 

 this case, I have seen a considerable extent gone over in January and Fe- 

 bruary, and pruned to the height of from 2 ft. to 4 ft. with the axe ; the whole 

 height of the trees being from 5 ft. to 10 ft. In the Highland natural forests, 

 the young plants do not often rise of equal strength and size. There is 

 commonly a portion of them (a sufficient crop) stout enough to overtop the 

 smaller ones; and the latter are of much benefit in preventing the side 

 branches of the former from advancing to a large size. The side branches 

 of the true Highland pine naturally take a wide or horizontal direction, 

 whereby they are more subject to decay by the closeness of the trees, than 

 if they inclined to a more perpendicular figure, as do our Low Country pines. 

 In planted woods, the pine trees are commonly of the same size and age; and 

 then it is absolutely necessary to thin them, as their tops rise equal, and 

 form a surface parallel to that of the ground on which they stand ; there- 

 fore, without relief by thinning, the whole are, to a certain extent, injured ; 

 whereas, in natural forests, the difference of sizes and ages is great, and 

 the strongest prevail unhurt. I am acquainted with many artificial planta- 

 tions of pine ; and the common method is, to thin the trees gradually as they 

 get too close or too high for their girt. Planted pines are not commonly pruned, 

 that being considered the worst mode of treatment. Many proprietors, of 

 late, have given over thinning ; but the woods are much hurt by being too 

 much confined. A good tree can scarcely be seen, except near the outside, 

 or where a road opens up and admits air. I am clearly of opinion that we 

 shall not have good pine plantations until they are produced from the seeds 

 of the native Highland forests, which are more healthy and permanent than 

 the kind commonly cultivated. John Grigor. Forrcs, Sept. 9. 1837." 



The Earl of Aberdeen; Macpherson Grant, Esq., of Ballindalloch ; Mr. 

 George Saunders, gardener and forester to the Duke of Richmond at 

 Gordon Castle ; Mr. Roy, nurseryman, Aberdeen ; and other proprietors and 

 gardeners of the north, have sent us answers to all our queries on the subject 

 of thinning and pruning, which correspond with those given above by Mr. 

 Grigor. From the Earl of Aberdeen's letter, we give the following extract : 

 " I received your letter during an excursion in the upper part of this 

 county, precisely in the neighbourhood of those natural fir forests respecting 

 which you had written to me. From the information I have received, I 

 think I may venture to assure you that these forests are never thinned, 

 at least with the view of promoting the growth of the trees ; nor, in fact, 

 with the exception, perhaps, of draining to a limited extent, in particular 

 situations, does there appear to be any care taken, or any management 

 x whatever to exist. This, indeed, is sufficiently obvious from the very ap- 

 pearance of the forest ; on large portions of which the trees are thinly 



, scattered, and at considerable intervals ; in other parts, they are crowded 



y together, and stand more densely than they could ever have been placed by 

 the hand of the planter. This appearance, however, is not so much the con- 

 sequence of neglect, as the result of an opinion that it is best not to meddle 

 with the trees at all. They are left to thin themselves, as it is called, by 

 which the weak plants are overpowered, and destroyed by the stronger. I 

 have also been assured that, in cases where the most judicious thinning has 

 been attempted, the admission of the wind has proved much more injurious 

 to the remaining trees, than is experienced in young woods of the planted 

 fir under similar treatment. I imagine that the finest fir forests now existing 

 in Scotland are those to which I have referred, in the upper part of the 

 valley of the Dee, and in the district of Braemar. Many of the trees are of 

 great size and beauty. I have seen none, however, at all to compare with a 

 tree cut in the Duke of Gordon's forest of Glenmore, and of which a plank is 

 preserved at Gordon Castle, measuring 5 ft. 8 in. in diameter, of perfectly 



