REPORT OF THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 133 



work winter after winter, and the Waterworks Committee were 

 forced to the conclusion that many did not want regular 

 work. They were of all trades, but very few were accustomed 

 to outdoor work, and numbers had never previously handled 

 a spade or any tool used in planting. The men were housed 

 in wooden huts, were allowed to go home for week-ends, and 

 had certain privileges as to travelling time, but out of i8i men 

 sent out in the winter of 1908-9 only sixteen worked for 

 sixteen weeks, the full time allotted. In spite of close super- 

 vision it was impossible to get good work out of the men, 

 and on account of heavy losses the planting proved very 

 uneconomical. Since 1909 the work has been done by a 

 small permanent staff, with extra help during the planting 

 season. 



Owing to the strong growth of grass on the lower-lying land, 

 tenants are encouraged to take off one or two agricultural crops 

 before giving up the land. If this has not been done the land is 

 ploughed before planting, if fairly level and free from large 

 stones ; or a thin skin of grass is pared off with the plough and 

 turned back on either side, forming a shallow furrow clear of 

 grass. The trees are planted either by vertical notching with a 

 half-worn No. 2 garden spade, or in holes made with a semi- 

 circular spade. On rocky land and moorland the surface peat 

 and heather is pared off with mattocks, and the soil stirred in 

 patches about a foot square before planting with spades. 

 Getting the soil into good mechanical condition is considered 

 of more importance than the method used in planting. 



Two- and three-year-old plants are sometimes used on clean 

 land, but the plants generally used are 2-year 2-year, as with the 

 larger plants less grass cutting is required. 



On the moors there are extensive areas with many " winter" 

 springs causing water to run over the surface, and on these 

 portions the old L system of notching is found hard to beat, as 

 it is important to loosen the soil as little as possible. Otherwise 

 water accumulates and stagnates round the roots, and when 

 it dries up in the spring many roots are found to be rotten. 



On wet land turfs about 20 inches square are turned up, and 

 the trees planted in holes made with a pointed vertical notching 

 spade through the centre of each turf. 



The plantations at the south end of the area were inspected 

 before lunch, which was kindly provided by the Leeds 



