REPORT ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS. 253 



ficiency of branches, while in the writer's opinion, at least one- 

 third of branches are wanting in one-half of the plantation, and 

 one-fourth wanting in the other. Occasioned by over much 

 shelter — not over-crowding, as the term generally implies, which 

 is a widely different thing, the plantation having always been 

 kept with a number of trees per acre upon it rather below than 

 above that of a fair crop ; at same time, owing to the naturally 

 sheltered situation, the damp nature of the soil, and its clayey 

 consistency, combined with the luxuriant summer herbage upon 

 its surface, and the shading and sheltering effects of the pine and 

 fir nurses, the unfavourable results described have been brought 

 about. 



One circumstance connected with this plantation worthy of 

 special notice, is the regular systematic manner in which it has 

 always been rather over than under thinned from first com- 

 mencement up to the present time. In confirmation of this state- 

 ment the writer would remark, that while in this case 150 trees 

 constitute the present crop per acre, a professional man, whose 

 writings on tree culture are well known, gives two instances of 

 thinning like plantations of ages similar to this, the one having 

 365 trees upon an acre, and the other 300, being in both cases 

 more than double the number found in this one. Thus, if the 

 quotations are reliable, the plantation under consideration is much 

 too thin, while, judging from the individual appearance of the 

 hardwood trees, the inference would at once be drawn that they 

 are not thinned enough. This false appearance is produced by 

 too much shelter, and not, as might be supposed, by over-crowd- 

 ing, the principal and only true cause being pines and firs mixed 

 promiscuously amongst the hardwoods, as nurses in a place where 

 nature had already provided shelter sufficient. In any case where 

 artificial shelter or nursing is necessary for the growing of hard- 

 woods, the better plan is to group the nurses as well as the hard- 

 woods, the former in such quantities and on such elevated and 

 exposed parts as to produce the desired effect ; at same time con- 

 fining the hardwoods to the lower and more favoured places. By 

 this means better shelter is afforded and less injury inflicted, than 

 by the general mixed system. 



No. 2 is another plantation of a general mixture in the south 

 of Eoxburghshire, planted in 1850 and 1851, situated at an alti- 

 tude between 400 and 500 feet. It occupies part of a glen ex- 

 tending from north to south, the bottom of which is well sheltered 

 from all points, and only the outskirts along the top of the banks 

 are exposed ; the length of the plantation is about 700 yards by a 

 mean width of about 130 yards, comprising an area of about 20 

 acres. The banks on either side of the glen are too steep for 

 conveniently cultivating them, though they were under the 

 plough previous to being planted. A soft boggy part along the 



