Notes on State Forestry in Ireland 463 



One of the most pressing needs for the improvement of existing 

 woodlands was a higher standard of forestry knowledge. The 

 Department, therefore, acquired in Wicklow, a well wooded county, 

 the old homestead of Parnell, consisting of 300 acres of woodland 

 and 200 acres of grassland upon which to conduct experimental 

 planting work and establish a training school for foresters who 

 might later enter the service of the state or of various owners of 

 woodlands or plantations. Six working apprentices were taken in 

 annually and given a course extending over three years. The 

 number trained annually is not now so great owing to the supply 

 having caught up to the demand. 



The chief attention at this, the leading forest station in Ireland, 

 is now centered on conducting experiments in the planting of 

 species prestunably adapted to Irish conditions. An Arboretimi 

 has been established and over 100 acres of sample plots of various 

 species planted. The average cost of planting with two-year-old 

 plants at the rate of 3,000 per acre has been about $34.20 per acre. 



Many North American species have been tried and the results 

 given during the first five years by the North American species, 

 as compared with European and other species, are interesting. 

 The plantations are on a light loamy soil. The rainfall averages 

 40 inches per annum. WhUe the winter temperature does not go 

 below 10 to 20" F., there are frequent frosts in May and June 

 which seriously affect many species. The climate is typical of 

 that of the greater part of Ireland. The elevation varies from 200 

 to 450 feet. The plantations are in nearly all cases evenly mixed 

 with nurse trees of European larch, and are spaced about 4 by 4 

 feet, the plots varjdng in size from one to three acres. North 

 American species are evidently better adapted to Irish needs than 

 many of the European species. Those species from the Pacific 

 coast seem especially provided for Irish conditions. Nine of the 

 eighteen conifers showing the best results up to date are North 

 American and of these, eight are from the Pacific coast. 



The early success of the Pacific Coast species is borne out by 

 what may be seen of older plantations. Douglas fir at 40 years 

 old in pure plantation has reached an average height of 80 feet; 

 the average annual product from Douglas fir plantations, totalling 

 eight acres in extent, and averaging 40 years in age was 200 cubic 

 feet per year per acre, quarter girth measurement. This is the 

 highest yield given by any tree in Ireland. The wood is very 



