STATE OF ARBORICULTURE IN NORTH LANCASHIRE. 191 
crop. In a high-lying district at the head of the Wyre Valley some 
planting has been done within the last few years. The soil is prin- 
cipally blue clay. The trees planted are larch and Scots fir, at 
3 feet apart. Some of these woods are far trom being satisfactory. 
The larch is affected with blister, aphis, ete. A great many of them 
are dying off, and only from eight to ten years planted, thus proving 
the unsuitableness of the larch upon cold, stiff, retentive clay soils. 
All this ground has been well drained with open drains 25 feet apart, 
and 30 inches deep ; while in the same district, on the side of the 
hills, just on the boundary of the county, on a light moory soil 
resting upon the millstone grit, the larch attains to a good-sized 
tree. Another drawback to the welfare of young plantations is the 
rabbit pest, many proprietors having encouraged them to an enor- 
mous extent upon their estates, necessitating—in almost every case 
of planting—the enclosing of the whole plantation with wire-netting. 
This adds greatly to the outlay when it is carried out to any 
extent. The operation of planting is generally done by digging 
pits 3 to 3} feet apart, which, on the low-lying lands, is the only 
suitable method ; while on the moors and hills notching or slitting 
is generally adopted. 
Thinning.—This, to my mind, is one of the most important 
departments in all matters connected with arboriculture, and I regret 
to say in how few instances I find it is properly attended to. Iam 
aware that there are many estates in different parts of the 
country where woods and plantations are properly attended to ; yet 
they are the exception to the general rule, and more especially so in 
North Lancashire. Thinning, except in very few instances, has 
received little or no attention in this part of the county, and where 
it has been done it has too often been carried out by men who had 
little or no knowledge of the management of woods, many pro- 
prietors thinking, I believe, that it would not pay the trouble,—to 
the great loss and ultimate deterioration of their woods. On many 
estates, even of considerable size, no qualified forester is kept, to 
whom the duty of thinning can be entrusted. It then commonly falls 
upon the land steward or agent of the estate, who in many instances 
gets the timber merchant to come and assist in the marking of trees 
when a thinning or fall of wood is contemplated. This system 
cannot be too much condemned. Naturally the merchant will have 
his eye upon the trees most likely to suit his purpose, little or no 
attention being paid to the ultimate benefit of the plantations. In 
all cases of thinning, and more especially when this operation has 
