Plantations and Home Nurseries Competition, 1914. 193 



bottom. The planting "was clone in 1910-11, and the method 

 adopted has already been described. The planting distances 

 were 4^ ft. by 4^ ft. and 5 ft. by 5 ft. It is interesting to note 

 here that 7,000 of the Douglas fir used in restocking, were 

 taken up as natural seedlings on a part of the ground, after a 

 crop of larch had been cleared away. The plants were taken 

 and lined out in the home nursery for a year before being set 

 out permanently. 



Many of the Douglas firs, although only four years planted, 

 measure up to 10 ft. in height. A few rows of the Colorado 

 variety showed the slow rate of growth at this stage as compared 

 with the green or Oregon variety. Many of the plantations in 

 favourable situations are being largely restocked with green 

 Douglas fir, which grows most luxuriantly here. Already 

 timber of this species has been sold at 8c?. per cubic ft. and, 

 used as fencing on the estate, it is found to last as well as 

 larch. 



Numerous other fine young woods were inspected, notably 

 one containing a section of 27-years-old ash, with a few larch, 

 spruce or beech. The ash, which are very fine, are quite 60 ft. 

 in height, and have straight, clean boles. This should prove a 

 most valuable crop. 



Among the large number of ornamental trees in the park 

 and grounds, some of them the finest of their kind in this 

 country, attention must be drawn to the magnificent groups of 

 Califoruian redwood {Sequoia sempet'virens), two of which 

 contain 34 and 11 trees respectively. The trees, 58 years old, 

 and standing about 9 yards apart, are over 100 feet in height, 

 and have clean boles of 30 to 40 ft. These are probably the 

 most remarkable groups of exotic forest trees to be found in 

 the country. 



The home nursery, though small, was found to contain a 

 large number of healthy trees, such as Douglas fir, Thuja 

 giga)}tea, Abies grandis, Cupressus nootkatensis, and other 

 species, all raised fi-om seed collected from specially selected 

 trees on the estate. 



The splendid systems of roads and rides laid out in the 

 woods are also worthy of mention. Although the elevation 

 varies something like 900 ft., the whole of the ground can be 

 covered by roads having an easy gradient. This is most 

 important, especially in a hilly country, and it must add con- 

 siderably to the value of the timber grown on this estate. 



The second prize was gained by Lord Barnard for the wood- 

 lands extending to 1,500 acres, on his estates in Shropshire. 



The plantations here are also being gradually brought under 

 a systematic scheme of management, the only sound and satis- 

 factory manner in which woodlands can be worked. The 



VOL. 75. H 



