134 • report— 1859. 



and some are far higher. The heights of the following places, where oats, barley, &c. 

 arc or have been grown, were ascertained by means of the mountain sympiesometer 

 and aneroid: Near Ballater — the Line 1108, Corrybeg 1126, Lin Mui 1300, 

 Easter Morven 1400; Braemar— Castleton 1160, Tomantoul 1500, Glen Lui, &c. 

 1600; Gairn-side— Glen Fenzie 1500; Strathdon— Brasacheil 1383 feet. The river 

 Don at the Bridge of Corgarf is 1280 above the sea; and at places near it, cultiva- 

 tion extends much higher. 



At the farm of Lin Mui above-mentioned, there are several old Ash trees : the two 

 largest of these in 1843 I found to be, at the base, respectively five feet and four 

 feet six inches in girth; at present (September 1859) their girths are five feet six 

 and five feet four inches : their rate of growth at such elevation is therefore slow. At 

 Altguisach, near Loch Muick, above 1400 feet above the sea, and fifty miles inland, 

 most of the ordinary culinary plants are grown, also the smaller fruits, as red, white, 

 and black currants, &c. ; Bay atid Portugal Laurels, standard Roses, &c, also succeed. 

 There are likewise thriving Larch trees, the girths of four of the largest of which 

 were recorded in 1843 (Dr. Dickie on Forest and other trees of Aberdeenshire, 

 ' Scottish Agricultural Journal'). In that year they had each respectively a circum- 

 ference, near the ground, equal to four feet nine, four feet five, four feet, and three 

 feet six inches ; these trees are now (September 1859) equal to five feet seven, five 

 feet six, five feet four, and five feet: they have therefore grown more rapidly, in 

 proportion, than the Ash trees already alluded to. The garden of Achernach in 

 Strathdon is at least 1250 feet above the level of the sea, and about fifty miles 

 inland ; opposite it is the Greenhill, not less than 1500 feet in height, which in the 

 earlier months of the year prevents the free access of the sun's rays. The produce 

 of this garden is reported as considerably later in arriving at maturity than at some 

 places in the vicinity : at these last, the season of the smaller fruits is over before 

 they are ripe at Achernach. 



A few records have been consulted with the view of ascertaining the average period 

 necessary for the maturing of oats at different elevations, and at various distances 

 from the sea : though not sufficiently numerous to afford satisfactory conclusions, it 

 may be interesting for the present to state them. At elevations not exceeding five 

 hundred feet above the sea, and about twenty miles from the coast, the mean time 

 is one hundred and seventy-two days; at places exceeding one thousand feet, and 

 from forty to fifty-five miles inland, the result is one hundred and seventy-nine days. 



Remarks on the Flora of Aberdeenshire. By Dr. Dickie, Professor of 

 Natural History, Queens College, Belfast. 



A summary of the physical characters of the county may be first given. A line 

 from Peterculter on the borders of Kincardine to Pennan on the borders of Banffshire, 

 separates two portions which present very different physical aspects ; the part to the 

 east of this line presents no elevation exceeding 900 feet ; to the west there is a 

 general and increasing elevation of the surface. This becomes obvious if we trace 

 the levels of the two principal rivers, the Dee and Don ; the former has an elevation of 

 1640 feet, at a distance of seventy miles — in a straight line — from its termination ; the 

 Don, fifty-five miles inland, is 1240 feet above the sea. Again, if we take a general 

 view of the heights of mountains in sections of ten miles from east to west, we observe 

 a regular increase in height, till we reach a zone in which none of the numerous 

 mountains are lower than 2000 or 3000 feet; and many exceed 4000, — the extreme 

 elevation being that of Ben Muich Dhui, viz. about 4320 feet, and therefore in Britain 

 second only to Ben Nevis. 



Omitting here other details respecting the shore-line, prevailing rocks and soil, 

 temperature, rain, &c, the following is a summary of conclusions respecting the 

 vegetation. 



Excluding upwards of forty species, many of which, though now extensively 

 diffused, have doubtless been introduced at a comparatively recent period, the indi- 

 genous flowering plants amount to 635, consisting of 458 Dicotyledons, and 177 

 Monocotyledons : these are distributed among 53 natural orders of the former, 

 and 11 of the latter. The flora, therefore, is not rich as regards mere numbers, 

 nevertheless it comprehends many species of great interest. Adopting the following 

 views of Mr. Watson as to type of distribution in Britain, we a.re better prepared to 



