Forestry Memories

Hand Fertilising at Barracks, Rannoch Forest c1965

Photograph courtesy of Duncan Menzies, Banchory.

Four young lads loading up the tree planting bags slung across their shoulders with triple super phosphate granular fertiliser. The names are not remembered but most likely they stayed in the Rannoch Forest Hostel at Bridge of Gaur.

The fertiliser was spread in a small circle around the base of the newly planted trees or trees a year or two old. The operation involved leaving strategic dumps of fertiliser along roads and rides in forests with machines and from these dumps the squad carried the loose fertiliser in planting bags slung over their shoulders walking along the furrows and spreading a small handful around each tree.

Unground rock phosphate was applied at the rate of about 3 cwt per acre or in new measure about 375kg per ha. Triple super phosphate may have been applied at lower volumes of around 2 cwt per acre. There was always a very lively debate as to whether it was better to scatter the fertiliser carefully in a ring around the base of the tree or follow a less time consuming system and just fling a handful to land in the region of the tree (easier if on piecework!!).

Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Groups of people, Tools, equipment and clothing

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