154 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the result of drainage, before the roots of the young trees begin 

 to penetrate beyond the turfs. 



In the Hertogenwald, easily reached from Verviers or Spa, 

 this kind of planting may be seen on a very large scale. It has 

 been in operation for some ten years, on moss land indistinguish- 

 able from a Scots moor in the nature of the soil and the variety 

 of plants which cover it. The Belgian Government appears to 

 be satisfied with the result, as its operations still continue, but 

 the forest officers have laboured under very great difficulties. 

 To begin with, the scene of operations is 1800 to 2000 feet above 

 the sea, and it is absolutely without shelter, being the summit of 

 a very long acclivity. The plantations are open to red deer and 

 roe, not a heavy stock, but enough to do great damage. The 

 Government, eager to afforest the largest area at the least 

 expense, plants at six feet, which is much too wide, and the 

 drains are too far apart to dry the ground effectually. Almost 

 the only species employed is the common spruce {Ficea excelsa), 

 which suffers more than most trees from careless planting. The 

 work is all done by contract, though under supervision of the 

 forest officials. The work of preparation, which can be strictly 

 specified and examined, is well done, but the plants supplied by 

 the contractors are often unsatisfactory, and imported from too 

 low an elevation. The results obtained are consequently slow, 

 unequal, and rather disappointing. 



The experiments at Corrour were begun in 1907. They have 

 been made partly at an elevation of 800 to 900 feet, and partly at 

 1300 to 1400 feet. The figures which follow all refer to the latter 

 group of experiments, which now extends to rather more than 

 100,000 plants, not including the area to be planted this spring. 

 The planting has all been done in spring (as it is in Belgium). 

 There is no object in putting out the plants in autumn to be 

 targets for the wind and frost. At the end of the first year's 

 growth, under this method, they are well rooted and fit to hold 

 their own. The species employed have been — 



Piftiis sylvestris . . . 27,000 



Picea excelsa .... 15,000 

 Picea sitchensis . . . 14,000 



Picea alba .... 10,000 

 PiHus monlafia laicinata (erect variety 



from the Pyrenees) . . 32,000 



Pinus strobus . . . .1 000 



