MANAGEMENT AND SALE OF TIMBER. 123 



lias lasted in roofs 32 years, and is still in good preservation. 

 A roof covered with three-quarter inch boards, was in tolerably 

 good repair at the end of 20 years. The shed was freely and 

 openly exposed on all sides, and no thatch or slate covering 

 upon it save only the wood. Several paling fences made from 

 the wood, at and below 60 years planted, have stood nearly 30 

 years (the rails only), but these palings, shed, and roofs referred 

 to were all steeped in a solution of corrosive sublimate. Paling 

 made from the wood without any preparation stood from 7 to 9 

 years. A roof of £ boards covering a shed, in a sheltered situa- 

 tion, was quite rotten in 5 years. This was unsteeped in the 

 corrosive sublimate. 



No. IV. is a Scotch pine plantation in Morayshire, comprising 

 about 1,600 acres, planted in 1803, 1804, and 1805. The plants 

 were put in at a general distance of about 3 feet apart, or about 

 5,000 trees per acre. The plantation fence was kept in repair 

 against sheep and cattle till the last planted part was 15 years 

 old, after that date the fence was allowed to crumble down, and 

 "both sheep and cattle to go in and out at pleasure. There was 

 no thinning till the trees were nearly 30 years planted, after that 

 time the thinning was partially performed in a few places, though 

 with a sparing hand ; beyond a few trees used by the tenants for 

 fencing purposes, the thinnings were not turned to any account, 

 nor even removed from the plantation. In 1851, when the 

 trees were from 46 to 48 years planted, a contract was entered into 

 with a wood merchant, who purchased as a thinning of it 138,000 

 trees. The trees were all marked by the proprietor's men, and 

 cut and manufactured by the purchaser. The following is a de- 

 tailed statement of the contract : — 



3G,000trees,tostand4in. diameter at 12 ft. from the ground, at fd. each, ,£112 10 



72,000 do. „ 6 do. do. do. at lfd. do., 525 



24,000 do. ,, 8 do. do. do. at 2.|d. do., 250 



6,000 do. „ 10 do. do. do. attid. do., 150 



138,000, Total No. Total Amount, .£1037 10 



138,000 trees -f- 1,600 acres = 86 trees average per acre 

 thinned out, or 12s. lljd. per acre derived from the thinnings. 



Nothing further was done by way of selling till 1856, when 

 another contract was entered upon, the number of trees to be 

 thinned out being undefined, and the prices within a fraction of 

 double those of the previous contract. The first contract was 

 completed in 5^ years, the second in 7 years, thus both pur- 

 chasers were at work at part of same time, but no inconvenience 

 was experienced by either party, the arrangement for each being 

 correctly and well defined. 



During the period of the latter contract something like 120 



