Annual report Speymouth Forest 1960
The reports are courtesy of Moray and Aberdeenshire Forest District, Huntly.
This is one of a series of annual reports written by Head Forester R A (Bob) Allison and describes the year’s work on the forest under a listed set of headings. Each forest would send their report to the District Office who would then compile a report for the whole District this then forwarded to the Conservancy or Directorate Office. This series of reports which have been unearthed, run to 1965, but although a number of intervening years are missing they do give a strong flavour of the annual work programmes; a unique insight into the issues and problems as well as the highlights of managing a forest over a period of fifteen years.
On the first page of this page with obscure printing there is the first mention of spraying areas of gorse with herbicide by helicopter – possibly supplied by an agricultural chemical company such as Fisons. A total of 302 acres were planted which is modest compared with earlier years. High pruning of Scots pine is highlighted with over 37 acres covered in the year the aim being to cut off all the branches up to 22 feet. One assumes this was on selected trees only as it is a very heavy task sawing branches off at these heights.
Up to 30 seasonal salmon fishermen are still being employed but for most of this time they are ‘on loan’ working in the neighbouring forest of Aultmore. Under the sale of produce Bob states ‘Most of the sales of timber here are standing sales (sold standing to merchants) and since the Tariff method of measurement has been accepted there cannot be a better way to sell timber; because every time we put axe to tree (fell and extract the trees by FC labour), and add our overheads, we have lost money!’ Chapter 14 headed Sociological Aspects has comments from Bob on relationships with farmers and is definitely worth a read.
Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry Records, Booklets and Reports, Northeast Scotland