28 THE MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS [Nov. 



13s. Sd. per acre. Moreover, there is a crop of fine thriving trees left 

 standing on tlie ground fur futurity, worth from £'40 to £60 per acre. 

 I tlierefore think, taking the quality of land into consideration, and 

 the improvement to the adjoining arable land afforded from shelter, 

 that tliere need not any longer be a doubt as to wliether land 

 planted will pay or not. The age of the plantations, as nearly as I 

 can make out, are — 1000 acres, 80 to 130 years old, planted by Dr. 

 Graham; 1300 acres, 30 to 70 years old, planted by Sir James Graham; 

 and 500 acres, 2 to 25 years old, planted by Sir Frederick Graham. 



The princijial markets for consumption liave been in the west of 

 Cumberland, where there are numerous coal and iron-ore mines, 

 the south of Scotland, Carlisle, and other towns situate in the 

 county, and at Longtown there lias been a bobbin manufactory for 

 the last thirty years which has been of much service in using Tip all 

 the small tliiiniings, coppice, and limbs cut off heavy hardwood 

 timber. The railway companies also consume a large quantity of 

 tirw(.ii3d for railway sleepers, and oak and other hardwood for waggon- 

 building. Thirty to forty years ago there was a better demand and 

 better prices obtained for oak for ship and boat building; but as iron 

 has superseded oak for that purpose, the cluef outlet is now with the 

 railway companies, and for local requirements. The Nether by 

 estate is well supplied with railway accommodation, the Caledonian 

 Eailway passing through the southern end of the property with a 

 station at Gretna, and the North British Eailway running through 

 the length of the estate for a distance of ten miles, while from Long- 

 town Station there is a branch line of three miles in connection with the 

 Caledonian at Gretna. Longtown Station is the most central and best 

 adapted for the delivery of timber and all other descriptions of produce. 



Tlie plantations suffered very much from the severe and unpre- 

 cedented gales of wind which occurred on the 12th of December 

 1883, and on the 23rd January 1884. Great breaches were made 

 in the plantations, and many fine specimen trees of various kinds 

 were blown down in the parks around the Hall. It is impossible to 

 state a number approaching to con-ectness, but I estimate the fallen 

 trees at from twelve to fifteen thousand. The great bulk of this blown- 

 down wood has been sold, and considerable progress has been made 

 in its removal. It will, however, take three or four years before it 

 is finally cleared away. These winds have been the cause of 

 lowering the price of wood very considerably in this and adjoining 

 counties in the North of Ensrland, and I understand the destruction 

 was even worse in Scotland, with the result that the markets at the 

 present time are quite overstocked. 



I have already superficially glanced at tlie remunerative and 

 therefore satisfactory results to be attained in the cultivation of 



