Plaiiting at Dlau' AtJiole. 295 



2s. 7d., as iu the above estimate, and the plants ^Yill cost 25s. or 30s. 

 instead of about 5s. lOd. — increased afterwards to about 9s. in the process 

 of " making good." The younger pUmts ^Yill cost from 20s. to 25s. per 

 acre. Since 1847 the prices of labour have risen in the district under 

 notice. Female labour has risen from lOd. a day to Is. 6d. ; men who 

 received from Is. 6d. to 2s. a day as wood labourers during several years 

 since 18-47, now receive from 14s. to 16s. a week. As a rule, they are all 

 able to take part in the varied operations of forest management, such as 

 the erection of fences, whether of stone or wire or wood ; planting, cutting, 

 thinning, pruning, draining, &c. The planting of conifers is effected by 

 the operation usually called slitting. This is done with a common spade 

 thrust into the ground, and then again inserted at right angles to the first 

 cut, when the handle of the spade is bent down, so as to open up the cut 

 first made. The assistant, following with the bundle of plants, then places 

 a plant carefully and arranges its roots, and the sod is then let down and 

 trodden well, to fix the plant firmly. 



The next detail is that of fencing. The wooden fence, though made 

 upon the spot of home-grown materials, is no longer the cheapest. A com- 

 mon wooden fence 4 feet G inches high, is made of four spruce rails of 4 

 inches by 1^ inch scantling, costing 2d. per yard each. Larch posts sawn 

 once and costuig 6d. each, are placed 6 feet apart. The cost therefore is 

 lid. per yard for the material and sawing Id., to which S^d. per yard must 

 be added for the labour of fixing and for nails, total Is. 2id. per yard, and 

 the fence will last from 13 to 15 years, Avhen the post will be found to 

 have rotted in the ground, and the fence to have become almost useless. 



By inserting intermediate posts, however, one between each of the old 

 posts, at a cost of Cd. per post and 2d. for fixing it, or 4d. per lineal yard 

 of fence, the wooden fence may be carried on to 20 years, at a total cost of 

 Is. Ggd. per yard. When additional strength is required against some kinds 

 of cattle, struts are fixed at intervals against the posts. Their length is 

 between 7 and 8 feet, and they are nailed to short posts set at the proper 

 distance from the fence according to their length. Before quitting the 

 subject of wooden fences, which are useful for temporary purposes, I must 

 refer to the novelty of a wooden coping on the gates, which preserves them 

 from wet, which is shot off as it falls, instead of soaking into the joints of 

 the gate and lodging between the bars. In constructing this inexpensive 

 and simple coping, the top bar is roofed, so to speak, with two slips of 

 deal running from end to end, and nailed together so as to fit close and 

 form a sharp-angled coping, or by a solid coping cut to a proper angle. 



For general purposes the wire fence is rapidly superseding all others, 

 being the least expensive and the most durable. Mr. M'Gregor's wire fences 

 consist of seven steel wires (Nos. 9 or 10), and iron standards set fi'om 

 12 yards to 18 yards apart. The cost of such a fence is 6d. per yard for 

 the materials, and 2^d. per yard for fixing. The standards are set in stones 

 with melted brimstone mixed with a little fine dry sand. This is not a 

 country for turf dykes, and none exist ; but it may be noted here that on 

 suitable soils turf dykes cost 5d. per lineal yard to build 5 feet high from 



