FORESTRY IN SCOTLAND.

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1921, Page 8

FORESTRY IN SCOTLAND.

OBSERVATIONS BY A NEW

ZEALANDER.

Mr H. F. von Haast, of Wellington, a member of the executive of the New Zealand Forestry League, who is at present visiting Scotland, supplies som-j interesting particulars in a recent communication with regard to forestry matters there. He writes: —

"When in Edinburgh for a day, I saw Mr Sutherland, who communicated with the representatives of the Department elsewhere and instructed them to show me round. On my way to Skye, I broke the journey at Carron, ond spent a day at Loch. Ossian, visiting Sir John Stirling Maxwell's plantations there. He made various experiments in planting different trees in fc-at, and earlier ex,periments in undrained soil. The result seems to indicate that planting any sort of tree at that height, 1250 ft. above sea level, in thick peat is not & commercial proposition, and that the Scots pine will not grow in it (although remains of the old Caledonian forest are found still hard and firm below the surface), also that sitka spruce does better than other trees. But after' seeing the difference between the slow rate of growth there and what can be done in this district, ycu must come to the conclusion that, while Sir John may be justified in planting for picturesquencess and as an experiment, he could never look upoj afforestation upon the soil round Loch Ossian as an investment.

"From Skye, where I understand the Government has a scheme to plant near Portree, and where we saw great devastation wrought by a gale among the plantations round Dunolgan Castle, we came straight here. That afternoon I and the factor, Johnston, first called on Scott, and Robinson drove Mrs von Haast and myself out to the training-school for ex-service men at Beaufort, and Fraser, the man in charge, showed us the nurseries and establishment. Yesterday, Robinson diove me out to Novar, all his graphs showing the yield of timber, expenditure, income, etc., then round the plantations, where we saw what could be done by systematic arrangement, and to what'height the trees would attain ou suitable soil, and I learned of the destruction caused by the squirrel, the rabbit, and the deer, and in some cases the woodcock and the pigeon.

"Probably ip the opossum and the deer, New Zealand foresters wil have two formidable enemies ' to contend with. It seems to me that the deer is a positive pest, and only allowed to be at large because of the social influence of a few titled persons, and that in New Zealand we should endeavour to kill it off altogether. Sport and agriculture and forestry do not go together. We saw some fine plantations of larch, nobdlis, Douglas sitka, Scots' pine, albertiaaa, and .sojnc good examples of under-planting, also how a piece of land from which the forest had been cut was being cleared preparatory to replanting. We had a long and enjoyable and in teiesting day, and next day we motored along the shore of Loch Ness, and observed the natural growth of birch on the lower slopes and of Scots' pine on the earthy knobs. The Government has acquired a long strip ,of about 25 miles, extending north from Port Augustus, and I was able to see various stages o| the forestry operations, the men's quarters, erected of corrugate:! iron, lined with wood, cheap but comfortable, the nursery, with crops of potatdes and lupins preparing the soil, the seedlings in various stages, hillsides cleared of the natural growth, the young larch and spruce planted on the cleared land, the deer and rabbit-proof' fences, a plantation of spruce about 43 years old just ready to cut, sawmill-

ing operations, and land with natural growth awaiting clearing. As I was able to study forestry from its practical side in beautiful scenery, I enjoyed every minute of it. We intend next to go on to Airoinore, whence I shall-probably go to Grantoun on Spey to see the natural regeneration, and then make a short visit to Dunkeld and inspect the big trees in the neighbourhood. Everybody in the Forestry Department, from Mr Sutherland downwards, has been most hospitable and helpful, and I only hope that what I have seen may be of some practical use to the Forestry League in New Zealand." •