Farming of Leicestershire. 333 



The management of these woods is carried on very sys- 

 tematically, a large staff of men (nearly thirty) being constantly 

 employed, the best workmen having a large share of piecework. 



Two nurseries are maintained on the estates, in which all the 

 young trees required for planting are reared. 



In the management of the oak-woods the chief aim is to obtain 

 clean, lengthy boles for planking. Iron having to a great extent 

 superseded oak for ship-building, the growth of timber for this 

 purpose is now a secondary consideration. 



The younger woods are thinned at periods varying from five 

 to ten years ; the thinnings, which are much in demand, are dis- 

 posed of by several auction sales during the summer months. 



In the old woods, wherever an oak-tree with a large spreading 

 top is taken down, the space is at once filled up by replanting ; 

 pits at least 2 feet wide and 18 inches deep are made, and oak 

 or ash for maiden poles or trees are planted. These pits are 

 made by task-work, the price varying from \\d. to 4r/. per score. 



On the dry warm soils (especially if hares and rabbits are not 

 abundant) autumn is preferred for planting, while on the clay- 

 soils the pits are dug in the autumn, and, weather permitting, 

 planting commences on the 1st of February. 



As a preservative against hares and rabbits, the young trees 

 are brushed over with a mixture of night-soil and lime, or soot 

 and cow-dung, and this is found an efficient protection for one 

 year. In planting single trees or shrubs by the drives, &c., the 

 stem is encircled with rods of elder, which effectually protect 

 them, as rabbits nev'er eat elder. 



Good clean-grown planking oak-timber is worth in the county 

 25. ^d. per foot ; coarse-graining trees making about 2^. per foot, 

 while from the Belvoir woods prime selected trees for special 

 purposes have made 4i'. per foot. 



Prime larch, age from 70 to 80 years, brings from \s. 6(7. to 

 \s. 8d., but for smaller sizes the price runs from Is. to Is. 4d. 

 per foot. 



Ash is getting rather scarce in many parts of the county, and 

 the demand and price is gradually increasing, 2s. being paid 

 for prime growths, while Is. 8d. per foot may be quoted as an 

 average value. 



Scotch fir is worth from Is, to Is. Sd. per foot, but little of this 

 timber is sold. 



Farm Buildings. 



" The farm-buildings will afford but little instruction to mo- 

 dern inquirers. Stall-feeding is little practised, and I have not 

 met with one modern-built, well-contrived feeding shed." 



Thus wrote Pitt with reference to the condition of the build- 



