42 AFFORESTATION OF WASTE LANDS. [May 



out drains, as no rule by which to go can be set down. The 

 arrangements which suit one piece of land would be entirely useless 

 for another. The drain which draws the water out of the soil most 

 effectually is the best laid out, whatever be the angle at which it is 

 laid. 



The cost of making such drains, as specified above, depends 

 entirely on the soil ; but on average soils, main drains of the above 

 dimensions should be made for about 3s. per chain, and the 

 tributaries about Is. 3d. per chain. 



Moads. 



In all large plantations there should be tracts left uuplanted in 

 the form of roads. There should be one or more main roads, as the 

 case may require, formed, running through the ground, and the other 

 open tracts leading into it at no greater distance than 400 yards. 

 It is unnecessary to incur the expense of forming the smaller roads 

 at this early stage, as they would not be required for the removal of 

 forest produce for fourteen or sixteen years afterwards. Only let 

 side drains be made where the ground is very wet. 



The necessity of judiciously laid-out roads is obvious to every one 

 interested in the management of woods. The expense which is 

 incurred in carrying the thinnings from the interior of a plantation 

 to where they can be taken away by carts is greatly lessened by 

 well laid-out roads. These roadways are of great service to 

 sportsmen as well as timber carriers. 



It has been argued that it is uneconomical to allow land to be 

 occupied by roads until they are required for the removal of 

 thinnings. Apart from what we have already stated regarding the 

 advantage derived from these openings, the cost would be consider- 

 ably greater to form firm roads equal to those we would have by 

 making side drains where necessary, and leaving the spaces un- 

 planted. One great advantage in laying off the lines of roads before 

 planting is, that the contour of the ground can be seen, and the 

 roads carried on convenient lines in the hard and firm ground. If 

 the roadways were planted, all the stools of the trees would require 

 to be rooted up before carting began, which is no small labour, and 

 would cost as much as the trees on the tract at the time of the first 

 thinning would be worth, and the soil would be so loose and open 

 by the roots of the trees that grew on it, that it would take a con- 

 siderable time before a firm surface could be had that would stand 

 any ordinary traffic. The cost of the formation of such roads depends 

 entirely on the nature of the ground, but in taking an average, the 

 main roads should be formed for about 8d. or Is. per lineal yard. 



(To he continued.) 



