at Poloc, Lanarkshire. 169 



the beech ; but not that of the horsechestnut, which is a shorter 

 and slower-growing tree than the sycamore. The sycamore is 

 called the plane in Scotland, its true name, the great maple, being 

 scarcely ever used to designate it ; and the elms here alluded to 

 are wych elms. The ash, sycamore, and wych elm and oak, I 

 have seen in ravines of natural copse-woods, along with oak, ash, 

 birch, and alder, a sort of dwarf aspen, and the mountain ash, 

 or rowan tree, a sort of sorb tree ; and they are, I infer, on that 

 account, indigenous to Scotland. 



I have introduced here the mossy-cupped oak, and an oak 

 resembling the common one, which I received from Mr. Salis- 

 bury. Both grow freely, and resist the wind ; and promise to 

 be great acquisitions. The former seems as capable of resisting 

 wind as the sycamore, although it grows like the wych elm, 

 inclining from the wind until it gets strength. The ilex, also, and 

 the Lucombe oak, flourish very much here, and resist the wind 

 very successfully ; both grow very well on clay soil of the worst 

 description ; viz. of a blue colour, and often of an aluminous 

 nature, with iron, and other substances hostile to trees, contained 

 in it. 



The sugar and Norway maples also thrive extremely well, even 

 in unfavourable soils, and also resist the wind, and grow erect, 

 like the sycamore. The liquidambar is equally thriving and 

 capable of resisting wind. The common maple has the same 

 qualities, and also the flowering one : indeed, all maples seem to 

 resist wind, and thrive here : the wet climate prevents insects 

 from hurting their leaves. 



The Canadian poplar is the fastest grower in all soils ; next 

 to it, the abele, the aspen, and the Lombardy poplar. There is 

 another species of poplar, resembling the Canadian, which I 

 suppose to be the black Italian : it has a whiter bark, more 

 pointed leaf, a more regular and closer form, and a handsomer 

 appearance in winter. 



The walnut stands the wind well ; but, like the chestnut, is 

 brittle, until it reaches a considerable age, and grows less lux- 

 uriantly. Although often affected by spring and autumn frosts, 

 it generally ripens its fruit, which the chestnut seldom does. The 

 purple beech grows as well as the common one. The silver- 

 leaved and Bedford willows grow rapidly, and to a large size, and 

 resist the wind well, yet are sometimes broken by storms. The 

 spruce of Norway grows rapidly when sheltered; but the white 

 American is, I think, a better tree, and more capable of thriving 

 in exposed situations ; and the black American spruce is supe- 

 rior to both for resisting wind, but a smaller tree. Neither of 

 the latter are so much injured by hares : indeed, hares scarcely 

 eat them at all. The white is highly aromatic, and on that ac- 

 count, perhaps, less palatable than the Norway spruce. The silver 



