CONIFERS FOR ECONOMIC PLANTING. 



47 



taken by myself, I can vouch for their accuracy. By way of 

 experiment I had several large trees cut up and utilised for 

 various purposes — fences, door-posts, boat-masts, &c., and with 

 fairly satisfactory results ; but of course it is yet premature to 

 speak with too great an amount of assurance, as only nin® years 

 have elapsed since the experiments were instituted. I do not 

 wish to say one word against this my favourite Fir, but the truth 

 must be told, and my own experience, gained principally on a 

 low-lying maritime estate, which favoured the growth of most 

 trees, is that the Douglas Fir must occupy a sheltered situation 

 if either ornament or utility be considered as points of importance ; 

 indeed, a lengthened experience gained on an estate where it is, 

 perhaps, grown in greater quantity than on any other, has now 

 fully convinced me that the Douglas Fir is an ill-chosen subject 

 for exposed ground. Eegarding the Douglas Firs in some of the 

 Perthshire woods and plantations voluminous articles have been 

 contributed by Dr. Schlich and others ; but it might here be well 

 to point out that scientific knowledge gained without practical 

 experience is rather dangerous, and should be most carefully 

 applied, particularly when dealing with matters arboricultural. 



(5) The Weymouth Pine {Pinus Strobus), when viewed in an 

 economic aspect, is well worthy of a fifth place on our list. In 

 not a few ill-chosen places throughout the country this Pine has 

 behaved in anything but a satisfactory way ; but it should also 

 be remembered that it has succeeded well and produced an 

 unusually large quantity of clean and firm wood in various 

 parts of Britain. This latter result is due to a careful study of 

 the soils, as well, indeed, as of the aspect and altitude, that have 

 been found best suited to the wants of the tree. Planted in 

 rocky dShris, largely intermixed with vegetable refuse, the tree 

 has attained to giant proportions at Gwydyr Castle, in North 

 Wales, as also at Longleat and other places we could mention. 

 The Gwydyr trees are nearly 100 feet high, straight as arrows, 

 and branchless for three-fourths of their length, and girthing fully 

 8 feet at breast high. At Strathkyle, on the western border of 

 Eoss-shire, at altitudes ranging from 100 feet to 1,200 feet, the 

 Weymouth Pine is thriving splendidly, while the Longleat trees 

 average 90 feet high, and girth 9 feet at a yard from the'ground. 



In thinning a mixed plantation of the Douglas Fir and 

 Weymouth Pine of thirty years' growth, I noted that trees of 



