WOODS AND PLANTATIONS. 351 



The Spanish Chestnut. This is a tree which comes to large dimensions 

 when grown in a good loamy soil and in a sheltered situation. 



The Birch, or that variety which is a true native of this country, 

 forms forests of considerable extent in the north of Scotland ; and there 

 it is found growing on the sides of the hills, in light soils formed by the 

 decayed rock. It is a very hardy tree, and is found at an elevation of 

 more than three thousand feet above the level of the sea. It generally 

 prefers light dry soils, but I have met with it in Lancashire growing to 

 very fair timber dimensions in a wet soil. 



The Lime-Tree. This is a tree which attains a large size and lives a 

 long time when planted in situations suitable to its nature. There are 

 some very large trees of this kind on the estate of Arniston, Mid-Lothian, 

 growing on a deep rich loamy soil. There is also an avenue of very 

 large trees on the estate of Thirkleby Park, near Thirsk, growing in a deep 

 loamy soil, and rather moist. It always does best in a sheltered situation. 



The Hornbeam is a tree capable of being grown to large dimensions, 

 although this is not usually the case. It sometimes attains a height of 

 from forty to fifty feet when reared in a good loamy soil. 



The Walnut-Tree. This tree attains very large dimensions when 

 grown in deep loamy soil, and dry. It will grow in a damp soil, but the 

 quality of the timber is inferior in that case. 



The Thorn is found growing naturally in a dry loamy soil. I have 

 also seen it thrive very well in exposed situations on a light dry sanely 

 soil. It does not do well on wet or moorland soils. 



The Holly. This grows best in a light dry loam. There are some 

 beautiful specimens on the estate of Wass growing on a light loamy soil; 

 and on the side of a hill where there is good natural drainage some of 

 these have attained the height of thirty feet and upwards. 



The Mountain-Ash finds a home for itself in our rocky glens, stretch- 

 ing out its roots between the rocks, and thrives well in such situations. 

 I have seen several in the county of Inverness, and on the hills and 

 mountains above Ballahulish, on the west coast of Scotland, which had 

 attained a very fair size, and growing in light soils formed by decayed 

 rock. 



The Scots Pine is a tree found in many different situations, and grows 

 well in several of them ; but the quality of the timber is much influenced 

 by the situation and soil in which it is grown. In the natural Scots 

 pine forests of Invercauld, Abernethy, Duthill, and Eothiemurchus, in 

 the north of Scotland, the trees are of slower growth on the high-lying 

 portions of the forests, where the soil is dry and gravelly; but there 

 the timber is of the best quality, and superior to the best quality of 

 larch in the south. They grow faster on *the lower portions of the 



