1884.] EDITORS BOX. 211 



lieathery ground, is that wlien the surface is pared the roots of the 

 plants have a far better chance of being effectively covered when put 

 in by notch-planting than they would if the grass and heather were 

 left on the spot where the plant Avas to be inserted. ' Loanleah,' in the 

 case he supposes, says that it would take as much time to ])lant ten 

 in the grass as it would to ])lant one liundred in tlie heather. 



Witli this estimate 1 cannot agree, even should the grassy ground 

 be stony, as he supposes. I have found by experience that a 

 labourer will insert more on grassy ground than he will on ground 

 that is covered with heather, as I always found that it was much 

 easier to pare ground that was only covered with grass than pare that 

 which was covered with rank heather. I had the planting of about 

 four hundred acres of hill pasture a few years ago, a good part of which 

 was covered with strong heather, and the rest with short heather and 

 grass. In both cases I removed the surface ; and, in going to seethe 

 plantation after two or three years' absence, I found, that the plants 

 in the part of the ground that was covered with heather had made 

 better growth and looked stronger than those on the grassy part. 



In regard to ' Loanleah's ' alternative mode of planting in irregular 

 rows of three-and-a-half feet apart and two-and-a-half feet between 

 each plant, it maybe objected that more plants would be required per 

 acre, and that the regular thinning would thereby become a much more 

 <liflicult process. It is much better to plant at regular distances, say 

 three or three-and-a-half feet apart, which is thick enough on any hill 

 pasture, unless operations are carried on to a high altitude, when the 

 plants would perhaps require to be put in even at two feet apart. 



This mode suggested by him assumes that people would be glad to 

 clear the plants for nothing if they got the grass. ' Loanleah' must 

 surely refer to hill pasture, which must be very uncommon, or to land 

 at one time under cultivation, before it wou^d pay any person to clear 

 away the grass, even though they did get it for their trouble. He 

 might get his plan to work well enough where the grass was accessible 

 in a small enclosure, but it would utterly fail in a large plantation on 

 hilly ground. Besides, I have no hesitation in saying that many 

 plants would be destroyed however carefully the grass was cut and 

 collected. Altogether there is no doubt that 'Loanleah' will find it to 

 his advantage and profit to follow Mr. Scott's instructions. 



The roads suggested by the latter are not necessarily the elaborately 

 finished drives estimated at such a high expenditure by ' Loanleah. 

 Xo practical forester would think of such an expensive road for forest 

 purposes as ' Loanleah ' supposes. Aroadway roughly levelled with the 

 turf cut along its own track would sufficiently serve three good purposes, 

 viz. : 1, cartage ; 2, shooting passes ; and last and not least, to serve 

 -9.S effective breaks to stop the spread of a possible fire. No doubt 



