1 34 The Jonrnal of Forestry. 



firs, realizing an annual rental of from 30s. to 50s. per acre on land which^ 

 under any other crop, would not bring half that rental. 



Throughout the county prices vary considerably, as n.ucli depends upon 

 the convenience of the timber to the market, and the distance to the 

 nearest railwav station. 



Under\A/ood and Timber Plantations. 



In this age of wealth, the owners of which justly claim to enjoy the 

 luxuries and pleasures of healthy life, while others who are in their confi- 

 dence are using their capital, by the exercise of ingenuity, energy, and 

 perseverance, in well-directed systems for the development of all the crafts 

 that employ our multitude of labourers (in earning the means to satisfy 

 their various necessities and desires, by guiding and aiding the labour- 

 saving inventions (of heaven-inspired men), to harmoniously work out the 

 production of all that man in his varied constitutional appetite desires. 



It is therefore, to help to meet this great want, expedient that all 

 nnderwood and timber plantations should be used as nurseries for -^-Inged 

 game properly reared and fed, while all rats, rabbits, and other vermin, 

 that destroy trees and crops, should be, as far as possible, annihilated, as 

 creatures that are inimical to the profitable growth of underwood. 



With a view to the attainment of this object in its better form, all 

 plantations should be laid out into triangularly shaped sections, from 80 

 to 100 yards wide at one end, and from 40 to 50 at the other, by drives or 

 gangways from 3 to 4 yards wide. 



The beaters or drivers enter the wide end of the section like a wedge, 

 the middle man, with a tenor handbell, first ; the others follow at proper 

 distances, each a little behind the other, last near outside, each one with a 

 treble bell. The sounds of these bells will guide, and enable the beaters 

 to keep their places, also the sportsmen to keep in the best situation on 

 the side drives. The beaters in this form will force the game to take wing 

 and fly towards the sides where the sportsmen are, and as the beaters pro- 

 gress toward the narrow end, they get closer together ; thus as more game 

 get on the move, the beaters are in closer position to prevent any escaping 

 back, while the sport gets more regularly and fairly divided. 



The length of the sections should not exceed 300 yards, because irregu- 

 lar sport arises through the contraction not increasing fast enough to 

 force the game out until considerable advance is made up the section, 

 towards the narrow end. Where plantations are large, a drive all round, 

 about 40 yards from the outside, should first be made, then drives from 

 200 to 300 yards apart, running from east to west ; these will form the ends 

 of the sections, and rule their length, also insure the side drives running 

 -in a north and south direction, which will give all the birds while rearing 

 a fair share of mid-day sun. 



Early in June all the drives should be mown, and the underwood cut or 

 brushed up on each side of the drives. The cut twigs with the grass 



