Lifting and bundling Sitka spruce, Newton Nursery
Photographs about 1980 courtesy of Abbie Gordon, Banchory.
Sitka spruce trees which have been lifted from the lining out beds being bundled in 50s for transport out to the forests. Note the baler twine all cut to length, tied at the waist, which is used to tie the bundles up. Is this Colin Fraser?
At this point some grading sometimes occurred of the trees into different size categories of large and medium with small ones being rejected but this process depended very much on national supply and growth situation.
Estimates of trees numbers and tree species requirements had to be made 3-4 years in advance and after this time when the trees were ready, the actual numbers required often had changed radically. Within nurseries it was not uncommon for disasters to happen to seed sowings or severe weather or insect damage affect the planned supply. In years of plant supply shortages many smaller trees were sent out or even alternative species of trees supplied.
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