REPORT ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS. 205 



favourable aspects of the plantation are the badly rooted condition 

 of the trees individually, and the disproportional growth — many 

 trees being nearly 50 feet in height and only 30 inches in girth 

 near the ground, with trunks from 30 to 40 feet in height with- 

 out any live branches being upon them ; others 40 feet high, 

 girth near the ground 24 inches ; others 30 feet high, girth 15 

 inches near the ground ; others 16 feet high, 7 inches in girth. 

 The distances of the trees apart vary from 3 feet to nearly 20 

 feet ; but the average distance apart of the whole trees is about 

 9J- feet=500 trees per acre, averaging 18 lineal feet each = 9000 

 feet, at one farthing per foot = L.9, 7s. 6d. per acre, the sum 

 which the proprietor would derive by selling it at the present 

 time for paling purposes ; but if sold for prop-wood only about 

 two-thirds of the above sum would be realised by the proprietor. 

 The following is the prospective highest attainable value at 60 

 years' growth, assuming that nothing further is done to the 

 plantation beyond cutting out each second year the decayed and 

 wind-fallen trees. At that age the plantation may be expected 

 to be at its highest state of perfection. The following is the 

 value it may then be expected to attain, allowing for decayed 

 and wind-fallen trees during its growth 100 trees, being about 

 6 trees per acre per annum : — 



30 timber trees containing 7 feet each= 210 feet, at 8d. per 

 foot, £7 



260 sparwood trees, from 5 to 8 inches diameter 



at 12 feet, at Is. 6d. each, . . 19 10 



110 pit-prop trees, 3 J to 5 inches at 12 feet from 



the ground, at 4d. each, . . 1 16 8 



Estimated prospective value per acre, £28 6 8 



The value of the ground occupied by this plantation is 



. 7s. 6d. per acre, which in 60 years amounts to £22 10 



Planting, draining, and enclosing, per acre, .500 



£27 10 



From the above statements, as they stand, it appears that 

 planting is more remunerative than grazing ; but if we add to 

 the principal simple interest, or, which is more proper, compound 

 interest, the balance would be vastly in favour of renting the 

 ground for grazing. It must be inferred that planting, in order 

 to pay the proprietor, must be done in the first instance at 

 moderate expense combined with efficiency, the ground and trees 

 thereon planted must be adapted to each other, and the manage- 

 ment throughout must be judicious and skilful. 



In the foregoing calculations the value of the general thinnings 



