MARITIME SITUATIONS. 69 



Indeed this result, to a great extent, lias been the case, hut 

 the success would have been much more marked had the fence 

 been permanent. In the way of making alterations, however, 

 this fence was removed in the autumn of 1873, and erected 

 with the same view of protecting the trees in another young 

 plantation, both from wind and animals. From the paling 

 uprights being only 3 inches wide, and placed at Ih inches 

 apart, it might reasonably have been expected that a sufficient 

 current of wind would have gone through between the pales to 

 have hardened the trees to such an extent, as to enable them to 

 withstand the exposure when the fence was removed, but the 

 result was otherwise. Directly opposite where part of the fence 

 was removed were growing birch and Scots fir, with a few oaks, 

 and a good under cover of whins, and it was soon found that 

 they had been too kindly nursed by the shelter of the paling to 

 withstand the severity of the exposure. After its removal a 

 great many of the Scots firs were blown down, and several of 

 them half way over with their roots partly removed from the 

 soil. The birch shared the same fate, and many of them had 

 their roots drawn partially out of the ground — the same as if 

 they had been pulled over. Had the fence been left, tlie result 

 of the shelter might have proved otherwise, as they would have; 

 received the blow of the wind gradually as they grew up above 

 its level. 



This example goes to show the necessity of bringing up young 

 trees in extremely exposed positions as hardy as possible, so 

 that they may take tlieir girth in pro2")ortion to their height, and 

 make good root growth, so as to hold them firm in the ground 

 against severe weather. The writer is of opinion that when 

 shelter is to be provided by the fencing of young plantations in 

 exposed situations, the best fence that can be made use of is a 

 good stone wall or dyke with a rough and irregularly projecting 

 coping. By the coping being thus irregular, with a few inches 

 projection over the sides of the wall, the wind is broken as it 

 rises on the wall, and is prevented from coming in contact with 

 the tops of the trees in great force, or at once, whereas with a 

 level coping of the width of the top of the wall without any pro- 

 jection over its sides the wind rises over the wall, and meets 

 no obstruction, coming against the trees in much greater force 

 above the level of the wall than if there had been no wall or 

 shelter whatever. Many prefer artificial paliug, brush, or stake 

 and 7'ice shelter to stone walls or dykes, and such fences are pro- 

 bably sufficient for the purpose in view, providing they are 

 upheld until the trees can do without them. But this becomes 

 expensive, without even providing the plantation with a per- 

 manent fence, which the stone wall or dyke is. 



The following remarks apply to a plantation extending to 



