FORESTRY 39 
not live over fiveacres on it. Many woods, shelter belts, strips and clumps 
of trees now exist which afford considerable shelter to dwellings, arable 
lands, stock and pasture. 
The Novar estates, for the extent and quality of their woodlands and 
their excellent management, are easily the best in Ross-shire and indeed 
stand high among the woodland estates of Britain. ‘That part of the 
county known as Easter Ross, which comprises the lower lying districts 
along the shores of the Cromarty Firth, was at one time of little value 
as it contained many small lochs, bogs and swamps. Drainage and land 
reclamation, together with extensive planting, have combined to ameliorate 
the climate and to convert this relative waste into a land of green fields, 
flourishing woods and pleasing landscapes. 
Wester Ross is mainly a region of mountain and sheep grazings, and 
natural woods of birch mingled with the remnants of some fine old 
primeval pine. Nevertheless, many plantations of Scots pine and larch 
have been established with success on many estates in this part of the 
country. Some of these are of considerable extent, as on the Gairloch 
and Braemore estates, where Scots pine, larch, spruce and other conifers 
have grown well. The Braemore woods were planted round about 
the year 1870, and yielded much valuable material during the war. 
In the Hebridean Islands shelter and soil are the main problems. 
There are, however, many fine grown trees, woods and plantations of 
different kinds which show that these difficulties can be overcome by 
skill and perseverance. 
RESEARCH.—One of the biggest problems at the present time in forestry 
is how to deal successfully with the large tracts of peat areas and difficult 
planting ground in the Highlands and elsewhere. 
Much valuable knowledge has been gained by the investigations and 
experimental work carried out since 1892 by Sir John Stirling Maxwell 
at Corrour, in the south-east of Inverness-shire. The plantations lie 
around the north-east half of Loch Ossian and are all above the 1,250 ft. 
contour. ‘The first plantations were confined to parts which were not 
supposed to require drainage. Theresults were not altogether satisfactory. 
Nevertheless, close observation and study of these plantations provided 
useful and promising lines for further experiments in methods of planting, 
choice of suitable species, age and size of plants to use, planting distances, 
the use of pioneer and nurse species for the more delicate but valuable 
kinds of trees, methods of after-care and tending. Since 1925 more 
intensive experiments have been laid down in order to find out whether 
it is possible to convert poor moorland soils into forest at this altitude in 
Scotland. These plantations have proved to be of immense value and 
encouragement to all workers engaged in the scientific investigations of 
peat, and in due course further results of fundamental value cannot fail to 
emerge. 
The special methods of the fixation and planting of shifting sand dunes, 
so important in many places in the Empire and in different countries, 
can be seen and studied in detail at Culbin on the Moray Firth. 
Epucation.—The Forestry Department of the University of Aberdeen 
provides a full course in Forestry training, leading up to the degree of 
