REPORT ON LARCH FORESTS. 39 1 



the district. The plantation extends to about 35 acres ; its form 

 is oblong, about 1300 yards long, by 120 broad. It is enclosed 

 with a turf dyke, at the time of its erection the most common 

 fence in that part' of the country. 



As far as can be ascertained, the following is the cost per acre, 

 including all expenses : — 



89 yards turf dyke, at 2d. per yard, 

 3000 plants, at 12s. per 1000, 

 Planting the above, at 4s. per 1000, 

 360 yards open drain, at Id. per yard, 

 Incidental expenses, including carriage of plants, 



The young trees were slit-planted with the common spade. 

 Some beating up was required each of three seasons after planting, 

 the expense of which is included in the original estimate. After 

 planting, the trees received no further attention till about seven- 

 teen years planted, when thinning was performed upon the most 

 advanced parts, at which time about one-half of the number of 

 trees planted had died ; a healthy larch was the exception. After 

 the first commencement of thinning, it was regularly and sys- 

 tematically carried on up to the present time, but nothing like a 

 profitable crop at any time occupied the ground. At forty 

 years planted, parts of the crop were valued, and the valuations 

 stood thus :— No. 1, 200 trees, at Is. 6d. each = L.15. No. 2, 220 

 trees, at Is. 8d. each = L.18, 6s. 8d. No. 3, 190 trees, at 2s. = L.19. 

 No. 4, 240 trees, at 2s. 6d. each = L.30. From the above it will 

 appear what progress the trees had made. The wood in each tree 

 is calculated at Is. per cubic foot, so that the largest average did 

 not exceed 5 feet, which is a small increase compared with the 

 growth of many larch plantations. The deficiency of growth may 

 be accounted for from the stiff clay soil, cold subsoil, and neglect 

 of timeous thinning. 



That the clay soil was the chief cause of failure may safely be 

 inferred from the circumstance that two dry gravelly hillocks 

 occurred, one near each extremity of the plantation, and it was 

 on these hillocks that the best trees were found. For grazing 

 purposes these hillocks were not nearly so valuable as the general 

 ground throughout the plantation, yet for the profitable growth 

 of larch they were infinitely better. One portion, a piece of heath- 

 covered ground, produced decidedly the best crop of trees, free 

 from " ground-rot," and equally free from " blister/' and in gene- 

 ral good health. 



A section of this part also showed a great superiority of growth 

 over all the rest, which may be accounted for from the turf having 

 been pared off the ground previous to planting. On this parti- 



