182 Plantations and Home Nurseries Cortvpetilioii, 1914. 



used was 2-years-l-year. The cost of planting is given at 4^. 

 per acre, and the cleaning of the whole area is put at 4/. per 

 annum for the first 4 years. Although following a previous 

 crop, there is little sign of disease ; a few Scots pine had 

 succumbed to attacks by Agaricus melleus, and a few larch 

 stems were suffering from larch canker. The larch has now 

 attained an average height of 25 ft., several being measured up 

 to 33 ft., with an average girth^ at breast height of 18 ins. The 

 average height of the Scots pine is 20 ft., with a girth of 12 ins. 

 It is intended lightly to weed or thin this crop next season, 

 taking out only small suppressed and any badly diseased stems, 

 but there will still be a full crop at the age. It might have 

 been an improvement if all the Scots pine had been planted in 

 groups. One group noticed will not require any attention in 

 the way of thinning for some years, the trees were forming 

 canopy, the side branches were becoming suppressed, and the 

 fall of needles was forming a good layer of humus. Where the 

 Scots pine, fortunately not too numerous, are mixed singly with 

 the larch, they will not benefit by the thinning out of the 

 larches, as they will have too much gi'owing space and become 

 coarse and knotty stems, one of the chief objections to mixing 

 Scots pine singly with larch. At this stage, when larch will 

 naturally begin to open out and must have more light, Scots 

 pine should be crowded in the thicket stage in order to suppress 

 and kill off the naturally strong side branches which otherwise 

 develop. This is a promising wood, which should in time 

 produce a very valuable crop of timber. 



The second prize in this class was awarded to Mr. 

 F. J. Hariison, Maer Hall, Staffordshire, for " Rowley's Wood," 

 extending to nearly 8 acres, lying at an elevation of 445 ft., 

 rainfall 35 ins. The crop here is practically pvire Scots pine, 

 12 years old. The wood has a southern exposure, and the soil 

 is light sand and gravel. The trees were planted by pitting at 

 4 ft. intervals, but there is no record of the age of the plants 

 used, though it is pi-obable they were 2-years-2-years plants. 

 The cost of planting cannot be given, as there is no record of 

 the formation of the wood. Little or no cost was incurred in 

 fencing, as no netting was used, the old fences merely being 

 repaired. This is a promising wood on a very poor soil, and 

 very free from disease, although it follows a crop of Scots pine. 

 The average height varies considerably in different sections of 

 the wood, in some places being as high as 17 ft., and in other 

 places, chiefly on knolls, only G ft., owing probably to the soil 

 being very thin and poor. A few Corsican pine were noticed 

 among the Scots, and these were doing well, being of equal 



' Where girths are given they were taken in all cases at breast height. 



