214 



makes a good wind-break and grows freely, but the bushes I 

 mentioned as coming from Tierra del Fuego would be better, 

 and there is a kind of Poplar whose leaf on the underside is a 

 silvery colour; this grows like a weed. The original plant was 

 in Government House Gardens and I obtained a slip or two in 

 Governor Kerr's time. Willows grow ireelv." 



In January, 1911, suggestions for tree pli *-- * — 



ma 



le by Kew on behalf of Mr. E. P. Cotton, and 

 within the last few months advice has again been sought. 



From the foregoing notes it is plain that with the exception 

 of the work carried out by Mr. Blake no real effort has been 

 made to establish trees in the Falkland Islands under forest 

 conditions and that the trees planted in gardens have apparently 

 survived only so long as they were well sheltered. Therefore, 

 although many of the introduced trees seem to have disappeared 

 within a few years, it has yet to be found out whether trees 

 planted in large enough blocks to afford one another shelter will 

 succeed. With this' in view the following suggestions have 

 been made. 



In any attempt that may be made to establish trees in the 

 Islands, the authorities must be prepared for a good deal of 

 experimental work and many disappointments before they can 

 entertain an idea of establishing a' successful forest area or be 

 certain of the impossibility of such an object. Unfortunately 

 there are no native trees to guide them in the selection of likely 

 subjects for forest work, whilst soil and climate are very 

 indifferent. Wind and the comparative scarcity of natural 

 shelter appear to be the chief difficulties standing in the way 

 of any attempt to establish trees in the Islands. In addition, 

 cold and wet soil, often of a sour, peaty nature, and a compara- 

 tively low maximum temperature, all of which are more or less 

 detrimental to tree growth, have to be faced. On the other 

 hand, the absence of severe frost and the fact that several 

 European trees have grown well until they reached the top of 

 their shelter are favourable signs, and it is an encouraging 

 fact that the European Gorse or Furze attains its maximum 

 height in the Islands and that a Poplar and Willows thrive. 

 This, proves that, given shelter, the soil conditions can be 

 adapted for the successful growth of certain exotic trees and in 

 any future operations that may be contemplated provision 

 should be made for planting the trees in large blocks, for the 

 greater the depth of a plantation the taller the trees are likely 

 to grow. m In small woods planted in exposed places, practically 

 all the trees are exposed and stunted, whereas in a wider area 

 each succeeding rank of trees grows a little taller than the one 

 immediately in front until finally well-developed specimens are 

 obtained. For experimental purpose-- at least 50 acres in not 

 more than three areas should be planted, provision being made 

 for their proper upkeep for at least ten years. The most suit- 

 able position would probably be found in the valleys of the 

 "West Island. At the end of ten years it would be possible to 

 form a fairly accurate idea as to whether tree planting upon 

 a more extended scale was justifiable and likely to be of benefit 



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