1884.] EDITOR'S BOX. 305 



states. I recently completed one of nearly three miles in extent at a 

 cost of about £50 per mile. In this case the roadway was twelve 

 feet wide, which, I think, is quite wide enough. Where stones and 

 gravel were plentiful and within a reasonable distance, the soil was 

 cleared out and a box of ten feet wide of these materials substituted. 

 In passing through heights which had to be cut some depth, this was 

 not necessary. In other soft parts too far distant from the materials 

 referred to, a space of nine or ten feet in the centre of the way was 

 laid with timber ; strong prop- wood and tree tops being suitable for 

 this purpose. This is called a ' Corduroy road,' and w^hen well laid 

 in damp situations, is sufficient for many years. A road so constructed, 

 including the value of the timber, will cost from £50 to £'80 per mile' 

 and in some cases rather more. It will depend upon the value of 

 such timber in the locality. Even the latter sum, however, and 

 considerably more, should not be grudged to make a good road in a 

 valuable plantation. The difference in value of the first thinnings 

 with a good road, compared with that of a bad or indifferent one, will 

 in many localities pay for the making, and afterwards, with attention, 

 a good road is kept up at small expense. ' Loanleah's ' proposal to 

 first plant his roads, and afterwards lift and transplant the trees, is 

 an unnecessary and expensive proceeding, and one which, in my 

 opinion, can be attended with no practical benefit, but rather the 

 opposite. In the end disappointment would be the result. 



With reference to ' Loanleah's query anent the paring of the turf, 

 where a close grassy vegetation exists, previous to the plants being 

 inserted, I think the practicability — in fact, the necessity — of this to 

 ensure success is so very generally admitted by, at least, practical 

 men, that little need be said in support of it ; and I would simply 

 advise ' Loanleah ' to test the matter for himself. I think also he 

 might test the correctness of his comparison with reference to the 

 number of plants that can be planted on heathy and grassy ground 

 with turf paring. Instead of being what he states, he will, in my 

 opinion, find the difference very much less, and that, in many cases, 

 the numbers can be equalized, and in some reversed. Be that as it 

 may, I would advise no one to notch plants in such situations 

 without paring. The grasses entwining themselves around the 

 plants press unfavourably upon thera, and obstruct a free circulation 

 of the air. They also deprive the plants of much nourishment, and 

 altogether have a prejudicial effect. 



The after-cutting of the giuss is no equivalent to paring, even 

 although it could be done without injury to the plants, which I 

 cannot admit. Although many of them might, at the time, escape 

 complete destruction, they would, if the grass were sufficiently cleared 

 around their stems, be sure to suffer irreparable injury. An-', 



