WOODS OF THE NOVAR ESTATE. 77 



Crop.— Old Conifers. Age, 81 years. Chiefly Scots fir of fail- 

 quality. Estimated stock, 35 trees, each of 11| cubic feet, to the 

 acre. — Young Conifers. An area of 1'254 acres is stocked with 

 Douglas fir, mixed with some silver fir, sycamore, maple and 

 poplar, now 9 years old. Side shoots of hardwoods have been 

 shortened where they injured the Douglas fir. The crop is doing 

 extremely well. A few old hardwood standards remain. An area 

 of 0"498 acre, aged 16 years, is stocked with larch. The trees are 

 much exposed to wind in a narrow belt, and they are a good deal 

 diseased. 



Treatment. — The old wood may be cut down at any time, the 

 ground being restocked with Scots fir mixed with a few larch. 

 From the plot of larch the most diseased among the trees should 

 be cut out ; later on the crop will be under-planted with shade- 

 bearers. The unstocked ground is in the plot of Douglas fir ; it 

 should be filled up with that species. 



No. 22.— Cnoc Fyrish. 



Old Conifers, . 

 Young Conifers, 

 Unstocked, 



Total, . . . 332 



Conditions op Locality.— Elevation, 600 to 1460 feet ; situated 

 on the face of a hill facing from S.W. to S., S.E. and E.; slope 

 steep. Soil, deep sandy loam at bottom, and generally hard 

 above ; very shallow and rocky in upper portion, with loose, shingly 

 surface in parts of the slope. About 30 acres are unsuited for 

 planting. Very much exposed to winds from the N.E. 



Crop.— Age, 122 years. Scots fir. With the exception of 

 scattered groups of trees left by the wind, the old stock now 

 standing is situated at the N.W. coi'ner. Estimated stock, on 

 22 acres 50 trees, on 8 acres 190 trees, each of 18 cubic feet to 

 the acre. The trees are stunted from exposure in the higher 

 parts ; they have been much damaged by squirrels, and many of 

 them are " royed." Patches of dense brackens are found all over 

 the area, especially in the lower parts. A few natural seedlings 

 exist throughout. 61 acres were planted in 1899 with Scots fir 

 and a few larch, and 3 acres above Black Park were planted in 

 1898 with larch mixed with a few Scots fir. The young crops 

 have been attacked to some extent by weevil and rabbits. 



Treatment.— The remainder of the old wood should be felled 

 as soon as possible. Where there is a good prospect of natural 

 regeneration from the trees still standing, promote this by burn- 

 ing the refuse on the ground. Plant up the unstocked ground 

 with Scots fir mixed with a few larch. Carefully preserve all 

 trees on the upper margin, and complete the shelter they afford 

 by adding birch, Cembran and Mountain pines. Establish 

 intermediate shelter-belts of these trees with beech, running 

 vertically up and down the face of the hill at intervals of 500 

 to 600 yards. 



