THE PLANTATIONS ON THE PENRHYN ESTATE, NORTH WALES. 167 



At the highest altitude, and where fully exposed to the strong 

 south-western blasts, the Corsican pine stands boldly out, even 

 where the Scots fir is bending from the blast. 



The average height of the trees is about 6 feet, although many 

 of the Corsican pine are from 8 feet to 10 feet, well branched, 

 and with plenty of healthy foliage. A low narrow ridge of soil 

 was thrown up alongside the fence that surrounds this wood, and 

 seeds of gorse were sown rather thickly on the top of it. This is 

 now a capital fence as well as shelter, the latter more particularly 

 on the exposed side. 



No. 3 is a plantation of 73 acres, at an altitude of 250 feet to 

 450 feet, planted thirty-three years ago, and contains a mixture 

 of larch, Scots fir, Douglas fir, oak, elm, and ash. The soil is 

 loam of fair quality, and the trees vary in height from 30 feet at 

 the higher level to fully 50 feet at the lower level. 



Abies Douylasii has here done remarkably well, the soil and 

 partially sheltered situation being all that could be desired for 

 the successful cultivation of the tree. Thinning and pruning has 

 been well attended to, and the trees are in consequence equally 

 distributed over the ground and in a healthy thriving condition. 

 In addition to the above trees there are a few specimens growing 

 here of Araucaria imbricata, Cedrus Beodara, and Pinus Cemhra, 

 but they are not of large size. 



No. 4 is an old oak wood, 35 acres in extent, and growing on 

 a free sandy loam with an alluvial deposit, on the banks of the 

 Ogwen River. 



The oak trees, which are fully a century old, and contain on an 

 average 60 cubic feet of wood each, stand thin on the ground, the 

 intervening spaces being occupied by Pinus strobus and Abies 

 Douglasii, these having been planted twenty-three years ago. At 

 irregular distances alongside a road that runs through the wood, 

 are some fine examples of Ai'aucaria imbricata, Cedrus Libani 

 and G. Deodara, Pinus Cembra, Thuia gigantea, and Cryptomeria 

 jajjonica. Where they have had plenty of room they have done 

 well, and look the picture of health, the free alluvial soil being 

 particularly suitable for their growth. The ground being Avell 

 sheltered and with an easy slope down to the river's edge, and the 

 soil of excellent quality, Abies Douglasii has done remai'kably 

 well, many of the trees being 70 feet in height, and containing 

 fully 50 cubic feet of wood. Pinus strobus is also quite at home, 

 the free soil resting on shale rock seeming to suit this valuable 



