354 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



the west coast of Great Britain, but on the east coast there is a greater 

 difficiilty experienced in this respect. For such situations the pinaster, 

 or cluster pine, is admirably adapted. It is to be seen growing luxuri- 

 antly along the coast of the Firth of Forth, and on the coasts of Ayrshire 

 and Wigtownshire. I examined a forest of pinaster in the summer of 

 1867 on the coast of France south from Boulogne. The trees were 

 thriving admirably, having made a growth of fully sixteen inches the 

 previous season. The soil was pure sand, as usually seen on our shores, 

 and the subsoil was a sandy clay. I do not anticipate that we shall 

 be able to grow the pinaster to any valuable timber dimensions on our 

 east coast, or indeed on any of our coasts ; but they could be raised 

 to a sufficient height to give shelter, and when that is attained, other 

 kinds of trees would grow much better immediately behind the pinaster 

 plantation. 



There is no doubt that -every kind of tree will grow to a certain 

 extent in every kind of soil under any ordinary circumstances ; but to 

 grow trees to perfection, they require to be planted in suitable soils 

 and climates. I have endeavoured to show the soils suited to the 

 common kinds of our forest-trees usually grown in Great Britain; but 

 it must be kept in view that although the soils named are suited to 

 the different kinds of trees, yet, on the other hand, the climate must 

 also be taken into consideration. Soils suitable to the growth of any 

 particular tree may be found at an elevation and in a climate where 

 the trees would not succeed well For instance, although I state that 

 the different kinds of hardwood trees prefer a richer soil than the 

 coniferous trees, and a more sheltered situation, yet it is quite possible 

 that a good soil suitable for hardwood may be found in a situation too 

 much exposed to give the tree any chance of succeeding well. This, 

 therefore, must be taken into consideration in selecting a crop of trees 

 for any particular soil. 



The trees which succeed best on the higher regions of our islands are, 

 the Scots pine, pinaster, larch, birch, and mountain-ash. At a lower 

 elevation, the oak, sycamore, beech, ash, elm, maple, chestnut, lime, and 

 poplar thrive to great perfection. 



SECTION 5. Estate Nurseries. 



On landed estates where there is any considerable amount of planting 

 operations going on each year, there should be a portion of ground laid 

 out for the purpose of rearing trees for the plantations. I do not 

 think it necessary or advisable for a landed proprietor to rear all the 



