298 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
small Acorn Patch, Yew Tree Brake, and parts of Park Hill, the 
underplanting of beech is recommended, but to be successful, 
strong three-year-old plants must be put out. 
“In the fifty to fifty-six years old plantations there is some 
underwood coming naturally, but it is desirable to introduce 
beech generally by planting or sowing. 
“Tn the twenty-five to forty years old plantations the sowing of 
beech mast will, as a rule, succeed, and an underwood once estab- 
lished, the overwood may be gradually thinned, so as to give to 
the oaks and larches that light which they demand to develop 
good crowns, but which must not be given by uncovering the soil. 
“In the re-enclosed areas, which may aggregate 6335 acres 
before the limit is reached, and of which 660 acres have already 
been fenced in, it has been decided to cut out the worst of the 
oaks, reserving or storing the more promising to form a shelter- 
wood. Under this some natural growth of oak and ash may 
be expected to appear, and, if not allowed to be smothered by 
fern, it will survive. Larch, and oak, and chestnut, as well as 
sycamore and willow, have been freely planted.” 
“ Under the oaks, and generally where there are not natural 
seedlings or planted groups as above, beech should be thickly 
sown or planted. This work of fencing 6335 acres, cutting out 
the bad oaks, and planting, as now projected, will be heavy and 
costly, and it is thought that twenty years may well be given to 
its accomplishment.” 
° 
. 
“The chief object is to restore the natural condition of the 
wood, as a complete mixed crop of oak and beech, and thus to 
secure a better development of the oaks. It may be urged that 
the oaks are not of sufliciently good shape and promise to ever 
furnish fine timber, and doubtless this is true to the extent that 
they will never develop such stems as were found in the old crop 
of the last century, but they will increase in girth and yield full- 
sized marketable timber, whereas now they would only give the 
less valuable undersized (flittern) wood and pit wood. It is 
advantageous, therefore, to keep them for themselves (7.¢., for 
their own sakes), while they will form a necessary shelter to the 
young beech, and favour the growth of the other plants in the 
openings. 
“Arrangements should be made to re-close periodically, at 
