70 



almost the whole of the extensive fields now ap- 

 propriated to sheep pasture ; nor is this to be won- 

 dered at, when we consider that many thousands 

 of acres of land, that was formerly carrying natural 

 woods, have of late years been left unenclosed and 

 set aside for pasture lands j it is no less wonderful 

 than true, that, the grow^ths of these stools or roots, 

 though devoured and eaten up in winter by cattle 

 and sheep, are never wholly extirpated as soon as 

 the grass gets up so as to afford a-^upply of meat for 

 the sheep, &c. the growth gets up, and so soon as 

 the grass fails, the growths or saplings are eaten up. 

 Now, were these dressed up from the old root of 

 the stool and enclosed singly, many a beautiful and 

 truly valuable timber tree could be reared j as these 

 stools send out most rapid growths, the enclosing 

 would only be required for two, three, or not exceed- 

 ing four years, when their tops would be totally out 

 of the reach of cattle or sheep. Sheep are always 

 detrimental to trees ; but when once the natural 

 growths of oaks, &c. are out of their reach in the 

 tops or lower twigs, there is no danger of their not 

 becoming timber trees ; the method of enclosing all 

 detached stools of this kind could be most effectually 

 done by my portable paling, ( See Forester's Guide,) 

 as the stobs and bolts could be easily carried from one 

 stool to another as they are required ; or wherever 

 there are larch firs, four or six stobs of larch, and 

 these twisted up with the small loppings of the larch, 

 will be found to stand as long, from the first putting 

 up, as will be necessary, and this will cost a mere 

 trifle. For example, — there is on two or three farms 

 in North Napdale, Argyleshire, the property of Neill 

 Malcolm, Esq, of Portalloch, (taken from actual sur- 



