190 Plantations and Home Xjirseries Competition, 1914. 



causing the deaths of some of the conifers, notably Japanese 

 larch and Scots pine. 



This is probably the fungoid disease most to be feared in 

 the district generally, where land carrying a crop of oak or oak 

 coppice is being cleared and restocked with conifers. Removal 

 of the roots of the oaks at the time of felling, or cutting the 

 trees in such a manner as to allow them to throw out fresh 

 shoots, and so keep the roots alive, seem to be measures worth 

 considering. 



The second prize was awarded to Mrs. Cathcart, of Wootton 

 Lodge, Staffordshire, for " Wootton Wood," another area show- 

 ing what can be done in the way of renewing and improving 

 the woodlands by careful and well-thought-out schemes. 



The area under treatment in this case is 369 acres in extent, 

 and the elevation runs from 350 to 800 feet. The existing 

 crop is mainly oak and, as the soil generally is light sand and 

 gravel, the greater portion of the trees have not attained to 

 large dimensions, and in many places the stems are decidedly 

 poor. 



The work of regenerating the wood was commenced nine 

 years ago by clearing away one of the worst portions and 

 restocking the area mainly with conifers, namely Scots pine 

 and larch, and a section has been dealt with every year since. 

 The plans and reports submitted shoAv that it is the intention 

 to gradually clear and replant the wood. 



The working scheme has been well thought out, and aims 

 ultimately at establishing a regular series of age classes. While 

 this is so, it may be well to point out that full consideration 

 has been given to the preservation of the amenities of the 

 property. 



Class X. Plantation of not Less than 2 Acres, 

 consisting of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, Japanese larch, Corsican 

 pine, or any other rarer conifer, pure or mixed, of not less 

 than five or more than thirty years' growth. 



There were seven entries in this class, and though all, at 

 the present time, in a sense, are good, yet in some cases the 

 species used — sometimes three or four in number — have been 

 so mixed, that it is doubtful if their present condition will be 

 long maintained. Already one or two kinds are beginning to 

 take the lead, and it is probable that in a few years the slower 

 growing species may fall behind to such an extent that they 

 will become suppressed and finally blotted out, to the detriment 

 of the crop as a whole. 



The first prize was awarded to a part of the " Rhallt " 

 plantation, on the Powis Castle estate. This section of 3^ 

 acres was formed five years ago, on land which previously 

 carried a crop of scrubby oaks, &c. It is situated on a 



