FOREST OPERATIONS IN COUNTY GAT.WAV, IRELAND. 253 



surprised if further experience were to prove that alder and birch 

 will also overcome it. All the other timber trees will always 

 have a hard struggle against this injury, and in parts to such an 

 extent that I consider profitable forestry out of the question on 

 the slopes which are immediately facing the west coast. 



(b) The Westerly Gales. 



The strong winds generally blow from a direction which lies 

 between south-west and north-west ; hence woods growing on 

 such aspects ai-e specially liable to be thrown or crippled in their 

 development. The effect decreases on going inland in an easterly 

 direction. The conclusion to be drawn is that, immediately near 

 the sea-shore, profitable forestry is only possible on slopes with 

 an aspect between south-east and north-east, and on level land 

 lying to the east of fairly high hills. With increasing distance 

 from the coast, northern and southern slopes may be added, and, 

 under proper arrangements, westerly aspects also. Knockboy 

 Hill, being of very modei-ate height, gives little protection even 

 to its eastern slope. On the other hand, at Ballinahinch, profit- 

 able forestry can already be carried on in spite of the westerly 

 gales, a fact which .is proved by the fine woods (including oaks 

 and silver firs) which have been produced there. And on the 

 slopes running down towards Lough Comb, as well as in the 

 vicinity of Oughterard generally, very promising woods of various 

 species, more especially of larch, Scotch pine, spruce, and silver 

 fir have been produced. 



(c) The Boggy Nature of the Soil. 



The soil throughout the Knockboy estate may be described as 

 more or less boggy, except small portions on the hill where the 

 rock appears on the surface. The depth of bog varies from a few 

 inches to over 10 feet. So far, it has not been possible to observe 

 any decided difference in the progress of the young trees on 

 shallow and on deep bog. The oldest plantation is, however, 

 only four years old, and this particular area is exposed to other 

 very unfavourable conditions described under (a) and (b). Of 

 the older plantations which I saw in County Galway, none are 

 situated on deep bog land, so that they do not teach us in how 

 far success on deep bog may be looked for. Under these circum- 

 stances I had to look elsewhere for evidence, and this I found in 



VOL. XVI. PART II. S 



