no TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTI'ISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



remain firm and withstand severe gales from all directions. 

 It is a good plan to inspect plantings after severe gales and 

 heavy falls of snow in order to adjust any plants that may have 

 been displaced. 



Fencing and Drainage. 



In the matter of fences stone walls are by far the best 

 enclosures, as they break the wind for a considerable distance 

 inwards ; but in these days of high prices, both for labour and 

 material, the cost is prohibitive. Planting hedges of thorn and 

 beech is out of the question, as both require a long time and 

 much labour before they are capable of turning stock. Wire 

 may probably be found to be the least costly, and it is more 

 enduring than timber in the form of posts and rails. All posts 

 should be creosoted and the wire coal-tarred every five years, 

 which will materially aid the preservation of the fence. 



Where land is water-logged it will be necessary to surface 

 drain it, and the system of drainage will depend on the general 

 contour of the land. Drains may be about 2 feet wide and 

 about 15 inches deep, with a gradual slope inwards from the 

 surface to the bottom. The distance apart must be governed 

 by the condition of the land. The drains should be arranged 

 to empty themselves into the main drain at an angle in the 

 direction of the natural flow of the water, and they will thus 

 run longer before silting up. Where the main drain catches 

 two sides of a slope the drains from either side should enter 

 alternately, and the main drain will thus remain much longer 

 in a serviceable condition. Tile draining, in these days of high 

 costs for labour and material, is prohibitive, and unless the 

 system is laid very deep the pipes soon become filled by 

 root-fibre and become useless. On damp land, surface or 

 open draining will generally be found to meet all ordinary 

 requirements. 



Ground Game. 



Where ground game is abundant it will be necessary to run 

 wire-netting round plantations for the protection of the trees. 

 In order to prevent the entrance of rabbits, the netting must 

 be let into the ground to a depth of about 6 inches, and the 

 rabbits will thus be prevented from scraping underneath it; the 

 netting should slope slightly outwards. 



