at Huntley Lodge, Banffshire. 369* 



plants are cut out, which leaves those that remain at about 8 ft. 

 apart ; the dead branches are at the same time pruned oiF close 

 to the stem of the tree, about 7 ft. up from the ground. I con- 

 sider it as decidedly best to take off all the dead branches, even if 

 they should be higher than a man can reach at this period ; but 

 in extensive plantations the expense of labour is an obstacle : the 

 reason is, that, when the dead branch does not soon fall off, there 

 is a danger that the wood of the trunk will grow round it, and 

 produce a dead knot. I do not approve of cutting away live 

 branches of two or more inches in diameter, as the resin flows 

 freely from the wound, and where many of these wounds are 

 made the tree is weakened. Small live branches might be 

 pruned off with a knife, from trees of 10 years' growth or there- 

 abouts, without much disadvantage ; but in this case I would not 

 remove more in one year than one year's production : but this 

 mode could only be practised in plantations of small extent. As 

 regards the distance at which the trees are finally left : sup- 

 posing all the trees left at the first thinning to thrive, I gradually 

 remove the weakest, until the best trees stand from 12fc. to 

 16 ft. apart. If the branches do not touch each other, I leave 

 the trees so that they will nearly touch ; for, if much further apart, 

 the wind gets vent amongst them, and often uproots the best 

 ones. In point of fact, however, the trees, after first thinning, 

 do not all thrive; both before and after this operation many of 

 them die. There is a disease in artificial plantations, known by 

 the name of cancer. This appears like a black resinous patch on 

 the side of the tree, and invariably kills it in a short time after 

 the disease appears. All these dead and cancered trees, when 

 removed, frequently leave the plantation thinner than we wish it 

 to be ;■ but the rule I adopt, where there is no disease, is to leave 

 the trees so as the tops have room, and not much more ; and with 

 this treatment I find the trees will attain the full size that the soil 

 and climate will allow. In this district, the best planted Scotch 

 pine trees at 60 years' growth, and there are none older, do not 

 measure more than 16 cubic feet: the timber is rather soft, and, 

 when used for roofing houses, it is found to be much inferior to 

 Scotch pine from the natural woods. The largest planted 

 Scotch pines I have seen, grow on the banks of Wishart's Burn, 

 near Gordon Castle; those trees contain from 50 to 70 cubic feet. 

 I do not know how long those trees have been planted, or how 

 treated : they are evidently old. In all the country on the banks 

 of the Spey, Scotch pines thrive better than in this quarter. I 

 suppose the soil being nearer in quality to that on which they 

 grow naturally is the principal cause. I cannot say, with cer- 

 tainty, how plantations are treated in that district, but I rather 

 think much in the manner I have endeavoured to describe. There 

 are extensive plantations in Strathspey, and elsewhere, on Lord 

 Vol. XIV. — No. 101. b b 



