REPORT OF ANNUAL EXCURSION. 139 



of timber which was, owing to his initiative and energy, available 

 for the country at a very critical time of need. 



When Mr Leyland first knew Kerry Hill there were practically 

 no woods of any consequence, except near the keeper's cottage. 

 His father planted a few shelter-belts of Scots pine, but these 

 were unsuccessful owing, it was thought, to the wrong type of 

 tree being used. The plants were of mid-European origin, and 

 generally these give less satisfactory results than our own native 

 or more northern types. 



Mr C. J. Leyland began planting in 1875. The grazing at 

 that time was of poor quality and the hill was unfenced, so the 

 neighbouring farmers were allowed to turn on a certain number 

 of sheep which grazed in common. There was originally a 

 special Kerry Hill sheep, which through inbreeding was 

 deteriorating, till Mr Leyland crossed his flock with Oxford 

 Downs and these bred back to the Kerry Hill stock and saved 

 the situation, but in 1879 the excessively wet season killed off 

 scores of sheep. Farming in the succeeding few years reached 

 a low ebb. Thousands of acres of grazing lands became derelict. 

 Kerry Hill was practically worked out, so Mr Leyland decided 

 to plant. The plantations were mixed but eventually spruce 

 predominated. The larch in places was badly diseased and, as 

 already indicated, the Scots pine did badly from the start, due 

 partly, perhaps, to the source of origin of the seed. 



Home nurseries were started at the end of the seventies, but 

 one large brake of Scots pine were so damaged by black game 

 that they were never planted out. There was a crop of good 

 larch from seed which was collected in the spring, which Mr 

 Leyland considers the proper time to collect larch seed. All 

 the seedlings did well and escaped disease. Mr Leyland in 

 all cases attaches great importance to pedigree, and seed was 

 not collected from coarse and easily climbed trees, as such seed 

 produces similar results. Planting was continued by Mr Leyland 

 until he left the district in 1890. The fine specimen of Abies 

 grandis which was seen by the party on the drive at Laighton 

 Hall, is credited with being the largest in Great Britain. It 

 grew 4^- feet a year in its early stages, and was planted by 

 Mr Leyland about 1875. 



The Kerry woods afford many valuable lessons to foresters 

 and to the whole nation. Here is a practical demonstration 

 that he who sows may reap, or at any rate see others reap, and 





