179 



West of Scotland College of Agriculture. The result of 6 years' 

 experiments showed that the productiveness had been decidedly 

 increased for the 6 years from one application of basic slag and 

 of slag and kainit. 



F. P. GISSING. Commercial Peat: its Uses and Possibilities. 



Pp. x-(-i9i. London. Charles Griffin & Co. Ltd. 1909. No- 

 tice in Nature, Vol. 83. April 14, 1910, p. 182. 



This volume on peat is a companion one to that published 

 in 1907 by Bjorling and Gissing, the author's aim being the de- 

 scription, from a commercial point of view, of the various processes 

 proposed for the utilisation of peat. 



Sir JOHN STIRLING MAXWELL and H. M. CADWELL. Afforestation 

 on moors. Tram. R. Scott. Arbor. Soc., XXIII, II, 153, 158. 

 Ed., July 1910. 



One of the most interesting articles in these Transactions of 

 the Scottish Arboricultural Society is a contribution by Sir John 

 Stirling Maxwell giving early results of trials in Inverness-shire with 

 the Belgian system of tree planting on turfs. Intended primarily 

 for afforestation on moors, but also suitable for rough, grass-covered 

 ground, the system consists in turning over turfs, leaving them to 

 dry and sweeten for some months, and then planting in the centre 

 in a heap of soil enriched with a small proportion of basic slag. 

 The young plants take a year to become established, and then 

 grow on quickly. The author also recommends the Sitka spruce, 

 Picea sitchensis, for planting at an elevation of about 100 feet, in 

 which there is agreement with the conclusions communicated in 

 an article by Mr. H. M. Cadwell, who considers that it is superior 

 to larch, Scotch pine, and Norway spruce for growing in an exposed 

 situation. 



