THE PLANTATIONS ON THE ESTATE OF SORN. 31 
reap a profit from them, and would not even allow them to be 
thinned, except in the slightest degree. Hence it was that an 
extra thick crop remained on the ground until it reached maturity ; 
the very thickness of the crop bringing the trees the earlier to 
maturity, to the great advantage of the succeeding proprietor, to 
whom it afforded a rich harvest. 
The success which followed the laying out of these plantations 
must be attributed to the advantages they had to start with; the 
soil was fresh and in first-rate condition, and the fences proof 
against the inroads of stock. 
The hedges are a feature of the estate, and, along with the 
plantations, have added largely to the amenity and value of the 
property. They are formed chiefly of mixed beech and thorn, but 
are occasionally composed wholly of beech or of thorn, and there 
is one good hedge of hornbeam, They were laid out and 
planted by the same lady who formed the plantations, and al- 
though now past their best, they must have been splendid fences 
for many years, and great care was bestowed in keeping them 
properly dressed and in good order. In forming the hedges, the 
most of them have been planted too high on a raised bank, with a 
ditch alongside, and the consequence is, they suffer much from 
droughts. A raised bank, such as this, composed largely of light 
peaty soil, soon becomes void of nutriment for the hedge, with the 
result that the plants become stunted and perish, unless much 
money and labour is annually expended in manuring and 
digging the hedge-bottoms, to keep the plants alive and vigorous. 
It is always advisable not to plant hedges too high above the level 
of the ground, and to take care at all times to keep the soil well 
up to the neck of the plants when the hedge-bottoms are being 
cleaned and dug. In renovating beech hedges, it is best to pro- 
ceed by cutting in one side of the hedge at a time, taking the 
stronger side first. Then in the -course of a few years, when the 
first cut side has been fairly renewed, the other side should be 
treated in a similar manner, by cutting it close in, and filling up 
all gaps with healthy plants. The work of renovating and planting 
should be done early in the season, so that the roots may be in 
action to sustain the plants against the heat and droughts. The 
hedges while in a young state, and during the process of renova- 
tion, should be securely fenced and protected from stock and 
the ravages of hares and rabbits. 
The late Graham Somervell, Esq. of Sorn, succeeded to the 
