MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 121 



space for their development from the time of planting, and grown 

 upon like quality of soil. 



Second, that the principal causes of failure, or early decay in 

 the larch in the plantations about Dunkeld and other places, 

 is in consequence of too much confinement in early growth, 

 over much moisture at certain stages of their growth, or un- 

 sirtableness of the soil to bring forward the trees to perfec- 

 tion. 



Third, that those trees which manifest the first symptoms of 

 decay are those that have their branches first and most severely 

 checked. 



No. III. is a Scots pine plantation in the south of Boxburgh- 

 shire, 88 years planted, comprising about 100 acres, situated at 

 an altitude between 500 and 700 feet, growing upon moorland, 

 principally covered with heath, but some parts with coarse grasses, 

 such as rushes, and coarser meadow grass, growing on damp 

 ground. 



The plantation covers the south eastern slope of the hill, and 

 extends from near its base to its summit. The trees situated along 

 the highest part of the ground are much smaller in size than those 

 upon the lower ground where the soil is deeper, but the qua- 

 lity of the timber is much superior. The superior quality of the 

 timber is quite distinguishable upon the poor, hard, and dry 

 ground, though it is not nearly at its highest attainable state of 

 perfection. Upon the other hand, where the soil is of better 

 quality, but more damp and clayey, the timber is more than 

 double the size of that of the former, but the quality of the 

 timber is much softer and destitute of rosin, and many of the 

 tref s are decayed in the heart wood. The poor soil comprises 

 about one-fourth the extent of the whole plantation. The trees 

 may be considered from 9 inches to 15 inches diameter near the 

 ground, and 30 feet to 45 feet in height. The remaining por- 

 tion comprising about 75 acres, bears trees upon it 50 to 70 

 feet in height, with a corresponding number of cubic feet. 

 Most of the trees are grown with clean, straight trunks, many 

 of them with one-half to two-thirds of the height ot the trees 

 clear of branches. These, however, do not girth in proportion to 

 their height, and moreover are the only trees in the plantation 

 which are affected with the ground rot, while those of larger girth, 

 and better clothed with branches, are quite sound and in a grow- 

 ing state. 



The plantation, as it stood at 70 years' old, contained about 

 95 trees per acre, each tree containing on an average, 25 cubic 

 feet = 2,375 feet at lOd. per foot = £98 19s. 2d; this divided 

 by 70, the number of years old, gives £1 8s. 3^d. as the yearly 

 return per acre, while the surrounding ground outside the fence 



