Forestry Meeting at Rosarie Forest
Photograph courtesy of David Foot, Surrey.
This appears to be a meeting of Forestry staff to discuss cultivation methods on indurated low fertility soils and those with iron pans. The site as David explains:
‘The subject matter looks like complete ploughing of an indurated gley soil carried out by the so-called Sickle (tine) plough. This was a time when 100% ploughing down to a depth of 30" or more was the latest innovation. The method did not last for long - too expensive.’
David may well be correct as the ploughing is not regular enough to be a twin furrow plough site and a sickle plough with a shallow mouldboard may have produced the desired breakup at depth and good mixing of the upper and lower soil levels as shown. A large soil pit has been dug to show the effects of the ploughing action on the site and we can only guess at the discussion on the day. The PDF shows George Taylor deep in the pit.
David has named some of the people:
1. ?
2. ?
3. Dick Richards then Conservator (E) Scotland.
4. ?
5. ?
6. Finlay MacRae – District Officer in Dingwall District?
7. ?
8. Bob Cathie - then Assist Conservator Forest Management (E) Scotland
9. George Taylor – then Northern Research team – Ploughing
10. Malcolm Macpherson – then District Officer – Moray
11. ?
12. ?
13. Bob Allison – Chief Forester of Speymouth Forest
14. John Everard – then Northern Research team – Silviculture
And adds that George Taylor was later Conservator South Scotland after David Foot, David Foot was assistant District Officer Moray between 1970-73 and that John Everard may have been assistant District Officer at Moray at an earlier period and latterly was Deputy Surveyor of the Dean Forest.
See the PDF for another view of some people.
Can anyone put names to the other members of the group and the location?
Download Large Version (903kB)
Groups: Forest Research, Forestry Areas, Groups of people, Northeast Scotland