530 



THE GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



July 13, 1912. 



IN THE DEESIDE WOODS, 



(Concluded from page 511.) 



BALLOGIE WOODS. 



Thursday's programme proved interesting, 

 for on that day there was inspected Scots 

 pines, which one and all declared they had 

 not seen their equal. Before breakfast 

 many of the visitors fiad a ramble around 

 Banchory, one of the prettiest, and certainly 

 the most popular, villages on Deeside. After 

 breakfast a start was made for Ballogie 

 Woods, owned by Mr. W. E. Nicol. At Ball- 

 nacraig the party were welcomed by Mr. 

 George Wyllie, manager of the Ballogie 

 estates. Attention was here drawn to a 

 number of very fine ornamental trees, includ- 

 ing a grand old ash of huge dimensions. 

 Five feet from the ground it measured 15ft. 

 8in. in circumference. Potarch Woods were 

 then visited, and a plantation of 200 acres, 

 growing about 2,500 trees to the acre, was 

 gone through. Tlie former crop was of old 

 Scots pine and larch cut out in blocks of 50 

 acres. Before planting this plantation a 

 thin turf was removed for the purpose of giv- 

 ing the trees more vigour, and thus enabling 

 them to resist the attack of pine weevil. 

 This purpose lias been evidently attained, 

 for the trees showed excellent growth . 

 Several other woods having been traversed, 

 all showing capital growth, a halt was made 

 at a very fine wood of Scots fir and Larcl 

 ninety years old. It grows 200 trees to the 

 acre, and gives 4,000 cubic feet. It was 

 much admired, and the opinion was unani- 

 mous that no better ia to be found in this 

 country. Altogether the impression made on 

 the minds of the visitors concerning this pa-rt 

 of the country wajs that the tree growth was 

 splendid. Nearer to the mansion house of 

 Ballogie some exceedingly fine conifers were 

 viewed. Among those measured were : Abies 

 nobilis, height 77ft,, circumference 6ft. llin. ; 

 A. nordmanniana, height 79ft. 6in., circum- 

 ference 9ft.; A. lasiocarpa, height 74ft., cir- 

 cumference 5ft. lOin. Lunch was here served, 

 aftor which the party proceeded by Ennochie, 

 where the remarkable phenomenon of twin 

 fire was seen. It was the subject of much 

 discussion among the company, and there was 

 a considerable difference of opinion. 



FINTZEAN WOODS. 



the 



At Powlair the party entered upon 

 estato of Fintzean, owned by the Right Hon. 

 Robert Farquharson. Here they were met 

 by Mr. F. J. Cochrane, of Balfour, factor for 

 Dr. Farquharson, and Mr. George Donald- 

 son, ground officer. These gentlemen led the 

 way to Easter Clune, which stands on the 

 south side of the river Feugh. This ancient 

 estate of the Bishops of Aberdeen is 

 200 acres in extent, where grows natural 

 larch about 40 years old. The tree« are ex- 

 ceptionally well developed, and their number 

 to the acre is perfect. A sample area mea- 

 sured brought out 1,800 cubic feet per acre. 

 Were it sold at present it was considered 

 the wood would command a considerable 

 sum. The party now drew near to Fintzean 

 House, a fine old mansion, part of which 

 dates from 1686, Here the most interesting 

 feature so far as forestry was concerned was 

 the avenue of superb Scots pine, called in 

 the district " Dr. Farquharson's walking- 

 sticks," or "The Laird's walking-sticks." 

 The trees are so closely grown that they 

 show a clear bole of about 60 feet, the total 

 number of cubic feet being far ahead of 

 what is generally expected to be produced 

 from ground under Scots pine. They ex- 

 torted general admiration, one and all de- 

 claring that they had riot seen anything to 



compare with them. 



Tea was served at Fintzean, on the invita- 

 tion of D/. Farquharson, who©e enforced ab- 

 sence was greatly regretted, and to whom 

 the warmest thanks of the society Sir John 

 Stirling-Maxwell asked Mr. Cochrane to 

 convev for his kindness to them that after- 

 noon. The cars were then re-entered just 

 as heavy rain began to fall, and Banchory 

 was aoon reached. 



CRATHES CASTLE WOODS. 



The weather on Friday, the concluding 

 day of the excursion^ broke rather dull and 

 disagreeable, but, with the exception of one 

 or two showers, the weather kept up won- 

 derfully well. The day's programme opened 

 with a visit to Messrs. A. and G. Paterson's 

 sawmills, a short distance from Banchory, 

 where Mr, Donald Munro, the chief partner, 

 acted as guide. Keen interest was mani- 

 fested in the various processes shown, espe- 

 cially in the number of squirrel-eaten boards 

 which Mr. Munro had exhibited for exami- 

 nation. After partaking of Mr. Munro's hos- 

 pitality, Mr. Elwes, in returning thanks, 

 said he had never seen a better equipped 

 sawmill, nor had he in all his excursions in 

 England obtained so much practical in- 

 formation about the trees they grew as that 

 given them by Mr. Munro, 



Crathes Castle^ the seat of Sir Thomas 



Burnett, Bart., of Leys, was the next halting 



place, and here the party was met by Mr. 

 J. C. F, Dnnbar, factor on the estate. At- 

 tontion was first directed to some remark- 

 ably fine trees in the avenue, including spe- 

 cimens of Thuia gigantoa, Cnpreasus Law- 

 soniana, cedars, and Douglas firs, all of 



which evoked much admiration. Great in- 

 terest was shown in the close avenues of tall 



lime trees in splendid condition, and in the 

 wonderful yew hedges, with arched passages 

 through them. Ornamental turrets^ formed 

 of no fewer than five trees geometrically ar- 

 ranged, are placed at certain points. Those 

 yew hedges were planted more than three 

 centuries ago — 'in 1596, the dato of the erec- 

 tion of the Castle. The gardens were next 

 visited, and here the fine work of Mr. 

 Andrew Petrie, head gardener, was greatly 

 admired, all departments being found in 

 capital order. The lakes, too, created much 

 interest, and undoubtodly proved one of the 

 best instances of landscape gardening seen 

 in the course of the excursion. At the visit 

 the islands presented one mass of rhododen- 

 drons in blossom, and the bright pink and 

 crimson reflected in the waters had a very 

 picturesque effect. 



AND 



Durris, the extensive estate of Mr. 

 Baird, was the last, and certainly not the 

 least interesting place of call. Here the 

 party found ample demonstration of what 

 practical sylviculture can be brought to. 

 Much of the work viewed here was done under 

 the supervision of Mr. John D. Orozier. The 

 work is being ably continued by Mr. Ernest 

 Lees, factor, and Mr. Charles Steward, head 

 forester. An outstanding feature of the day 

 was a visit to a couple of plantations of Picea 

 sitchensis (P. Menziesi), growing at an ele- 

 vation of from 700 to 900ft. above sea level, 

 on boggy ground, surrounded by moorland. 

 The plantations are 34 years old, and are said 

 to be unique — at least so said the late Profes- 

 sor Mayer, of Munich, the eminent forest ex- 

 pert, when he visited this country two years 

 ago. The first of the plantations visited was 

 somewhat mixed, the picea mentioned having 

 been planted along with common spruce, 

 -Scots fir, and a few larch. It was self-evi- 

 dent that the picea had practically sup- 

 pressed the other trees. But the most in- 

 teresting block visited was that solely de- 

 voted to P. sitchensis, at an elevation of 

 900ft. Closely planted, tlie trees have grown 

 up tall and straight, almost excluding the 

 light from the lower portion of the wood. 

 Thirty-four years of fc'ge, and in fine, healthy 

 condition, there is no other wood to equal 

 it in this country, and even in America there 

 is no record of any artificially planted wood 

 of this tree approaching it, although 

 in the original forests a different state of 

 matters may prevail. This is undoubtedly a 

 wood which provides, and will continue to 

 provide, a most useful object lesson on a ques- 

 tion regarded by arboriculturists as of con- 

 siderable importance — the place of this picea 

 among commercial trees. It was little won- 

 der that the general consensus of opinion ex- 

 pressed was that the wood amply and right 

 well repaid the visit. After lunch a pleasant 

 hour was spent in walking through the extent 



eive gardens and hothouses, under the guid- 

 ance of Mr. Andrew Eeid, head gardener 

 whose work was greatly admired, and the hor- 

 ticulturists of the party were high in their 

 praises of all they saw. The ornamental 

 trees in the policies also claimed much atten- 

 tion, some especially handsome specimens of 

 Cupressus macrocarpa, Abies grandis, Thuia 

 igantea, fine old yews, eagle-claw maple, and 

 ouglas firs being^ greatly admired. The 

 "den" was then visited, where were found 

 many fine old oaks and larches, said to have 

 been planted during the Duke of Gordon's 

 proprietorship of the estate. Some of the 

 larches were over 100 feet in height and fro_ 

 8 to 10\ feet in circumference five feet from 

 the ground. A specially fine old Douglas fir 

 not^d here, now about 80 years old, measured 

 112 feet in height and 12 feet 6 inchee in cir- 

 cumference at five feet from the ground. 



One of the most memorable and most suc- 

 cessful excursions under the auspices of the 

 Society was now concluded, and the party re- 

 turned to Aberdeen delighted with the lovely 

 scenery and the extensive additional know- 

 ledge they had gained by their visit to Eoyal 

 Deeside. Of all the party none were better 

 pleased at the succesis of "the excursion than 

 th3 worthy president. Sir John Stirling- 

 well, and the secretary and treasurer, Mr. 

 Eolert Galloway, S.S.C, Edinburgh, to 

 whose admirable arrangements and wise coun. 

 sel great praise is due. 



We understand that Switzearland has been 

 chosen for next year's excursion. 



DESSERT CHERRIES. 



The excellent examples of dessert cherries 

 recently exliibited at the metropolitan 

 shows should demonstrate to lovers of gar- 

 dens the adaptability of these fruits for pot 

 culture, and their excellence for inclusion 

 in a dessert. 



Where there is not a suitable soil in gar- 

 dens for cultivating cherry trees in the open 

 quarters, they can always \he grown in pots, 

 and, failing a liouse for ripening the fruits 

 in, there is often a place in moderate 

 gardens where the trees may pass through 

 the flowering period, and later ripen out- 

 side, with some protection from birds. 



Even when the soil is not isuitable for 

 outside culture^ considering the small quan- 

 tity of soil which, of the right sort, will 

 keep a tree in pot in a fruitful condition, 

 it does not require much, outlay to provide 

 the same for outside fruiting. 



One may frequently meet with, fair exam- 

 ples of cherries fruiting in pots, but the 

 finest and most prolific trees I remember 

 having seen are trees of Black Tartarian 

 in the gardens at Hurstbourne Park. This 

 variety is known to ibe an abundant bearer, 

 and I had the pleasure of seeing some trees 

 in fruit, and a good idea of the crop may 

 be realised when it is stated that from a 

 tree which had ripened its crop 601b. ot 

 fruit was taken. One can easily understand 

 that quantity when looking at the crops on 

 the trees not gathered 



I am told the trees, which are growing 



in pots in a lean-to house, are £oni^ fif^/ 

 years old. They have been under the care 

 of Mr. Perry for more than twenty years, 

 and bear testimony of his success m cherry 

 culture. A younger tree of another v^ir^ety, 

 Noir de Schmidt, was also carrying a heavy 

 crop. This is a 'fine black cherry of sweet 

 and excellent flavour, with much firmer 

 fle.sh than Black Tartarian. An enquiry 

 as to their treatment elicited a smiling i^- 

 ark, which^ to those who know, signifies 

 much. 



Other fruits are well grown at Hurst- 

 bourne, and iJiese do not form "^^.U "^^^^Ji"' 

 teresting things seen in the gardens- 

 «hort time spent with Mr. Perry wa? an 

 interesting one, and one had evidence < f 



capability as a gardener. 



Paul T. Moek. 



