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Mr. Robertson takes a keen interest in all that affects forestry 
and foresters, and in addition to giving his own men practical 
training, he has instituted a course of technical lectures, which are 
attended by his own men and by men from neighbouring estates. 
WortrLeEY Hatu.—Nov. 30. 
Wortley Hall, the property of Lord Wharncliffe, forms the 
business centre of the Wharncliffe estate, and is easily reached from 
Sheffield. For a distance of 3 or 4 miles the railway passes through 
the largest wood, known as Wharncliffe wood, 1,200 acres in extent, 
and it is easy to see that if woods are to be planted in the vicinity 
of railways, precautions will have to be taken to guard against fire, 
for this wood has suffered very severely, and large areas have been 
destroyed. The most disastrous time for fires in that neighbourhood 
rock 18 inches below. Young plantations, 2 to 4 years old, of 
Previous to planting, the ground was well worked by a steam 
plough. ants 14 feet high were inserted, and many which have 
been planted 4 years are now upwards of 10 feet in height. Last 
season’s growth in numerous instances measured 24 feet in length. 
It is only fair to add, however, that the best plantations are well 
sheltered. In another place a larch plantation, 3 years planted, 
averaged between 8 and 9 feet in height. 
It is estimated that 1,000,000 Corsican and Austrian pines have 
been planted about the estate, one large wood, known as the Jubilee 
plantation, being composed almost entirely of these trees. This 
plantation varies in altitude from 300 to 600 feet, and is on sandy 
loam, overlying clay. The trees averaged 4,000 to the acre at 
planting time, 1887, and are now about 35 feet high with an average 
diameter of 64 inches at 3 feet from the ground. An isolated tree 
was seen in another position which is about 50 years of age and 60 feet 
high. This tree, I was informed, is adding girth at the rate of 3 of an 
inch a year. When these pines were first planted, it was with the idea 
that the thinnings could be disposed of locally for pit props, but 
owing to rapid growth, the wood lacks the necessary strength. For 
landscape effect pure woods of these pines have too sombre an aspect, 
and the introduction of lighter ssleaiod foliage here and there 
would be an improvement. The natural tree of the neighbourhood 
is sycamore. This seeds freely and grows rapidly, and a local 
market is found for the wood. About the park there are many fine 
old trees, and in the pleasure grounds a fine old oak was seen which 
girthed .21 feet 3 inches at 4 feet from the ground, see 
