392 



The Margam estate is naturally well wooded, and of late years 

 all the woods have been placed under the charge of a trained 

 forester, who is proceeding with their development on the most 

 approved lines. In the nursery quarters there were hundreds of 

 thousands of larch, Scots pine, Douglas fir, and Norway spruce 

 in various stages of development, and from these extensive 

 plantations are made annually. Larch is grown more largely 

 than any other tree, and it is singularly free from disease. The 

 common larch is most frequently met with, but Larix leptolepis 

 is also grown, an I where the two are planted side by side the 

 latter has quite outgrown the former. At present, however, the 

 Japanese species is said to be too dear for profitable planting. 



The work of the estate is carried out by about 300 men of 

 various trades and occupations. The works yard contains shops 

 for various tradesmen, such as carpenters, masons, painters, &c, 

 and ample machinery is provided for sawing, planing, moulding, 

 and various other kinds of work, the motive power being obtained 

 from a water-driven turbine engine. As far as possible home 

 grown timber is used for estate purposes, and wherever possible 

 it is creosoted. The creosoting plant is a lesson in economy, the 

 whole having been erected at a cost of £75. It consists of a large 

 cylindrical boiler, such as was formerly used in collieries, placed 

 horizontally above a furnace and open at the top like a trough. 

 By its side is a large creosote tank with a pump connected with 

 the boiler. The wood, such as gates, doors, window-frames, posts, 

 and rails, or anything else that requires treatment, is placed in the 

 boiler, and sufficient creosote is pumpad in to cover the whole, 

 and then the fire is lighted. The creosote is brought to about the 

 boding point of water, and is kept at this temperature for two 

 days ; the liquid is then drawn off and the pickling is completed. 

 Heated creosote is stated to be more efficacious than cold, especially 

 when green wood is employed. To illustrate the value of 

 creosoted timber over that which has not been so treated, some 

 posts of birch, poplar, and beech were pointed out to me which 

 had been in the ground for three years and were perfectly sound, 

 whereas it rarely happens that unpickled wood of these trees, of 

 similar dimensions, lasts for more than one year. 



Statistics are preserved of the actual cost of material and labour for 

 various kinds of work, and I was shown 5-barred farm gates I) feet 

 long and £ feet high— specially braced and strengthened with iron 

 clasps— made of larch rails and oak ends, the total cost of which, 

 including hinges, fastenings and creosoting, was 17s. 6d., or with 

 a pair of strong oak posts 12s. extra. 



An interesting fact was brought to my notice in the case of a 

 large plantation of young larch that had been accidentally burnt. 

 A Portion of the land had originally been covered with bracken 

 and the remainder with gorse. The year after the fire 50 per cent, 

 ot those trees planted amongst bracken sent out strong shoots 

 from the ground line, whilst only 5 par cent, of those planted 

 amongst the gorse grew again. 



Experiments with Marram grass (Ammophia arenaria) are in 

 progress near the shore in the neighbourhood of Port Talbot for 



^Ll %? mS ° f , the 8and duae *< a ll #*0 * year is spent on fiiB 

 work, lhe results so far are said to be satisfactory. 



