402 



CONIFER.E. 



which mosses of various species were growing with a luxu- 

 riance we scarcely ever saw equalled, nourished, it would 

 appear, and encouraged by the partial stoppage and stag- 

 nation of the surface water thus impeded in its course, — 

 this rapid accumulation of these cryptogamic plants threat- 

 ened, at the time we mention, to convert a large proportion 

 of the surface that had once been forest, into a peat moss ; 

 but we gather from Sir T. D. Lauder, who has subse- 

 quently visited it, that the forest of Glenmore is fast 

 replenishing itself, the seedling firs starting in countless 

 thousands from its surface, and promising, from their rapid 

 growth, again to restore to this wild mountain glen the 

 gloomy character of its pristine forest scenery. A little 

 to the west of Glenmore, and nearer to the Spey, upon 

 an irregular surface, varied and interspersed with nume- 

 rous highland lochs, stands the forest of Rothiemurchus, 

 which, at one period, covered with its dense masses a 

 surface of sixteen square miles. The axe, however, for 

 many years past, has been busily at work, the profits to the 

 proprietor, from the fall of pine timber, according to Sir 

 T. D. Lauder, having sometimes amounted to 20,000?. 

 in one year. 



In consequence of the rapid and wholesale destruction 

 of this once extensive forest, it is now nearly denuded 

 of its old and finest timber, and scarcely exhibits a rem- 

 nant of its ancient growth. Its renovation, however, is 

 rapidly going on, as a thriving crop of seedlings spring- 

 naturally up after every fall of timber, which, if protected 

 from the inroads of cattle and sheep, thrive vigorously, 

 and in time will no doubt emulate the dimensions of 

 their progenitors. 



The timber of this forest, from the close thick manner 

 in which the trees originally grew, was clean, straight, 



