DISCUSSION ON MR MACDONALD'S PAPER. I I 



the number of drives in our compartments, making them loo 

 yards apart, in order to get the rabbits killed down, so that we 

 may avoid the cost of putting up wire-netting." 



Mr Keir, Ladywell, in reply to the Chairman, said: — "We 

 are planting European larch at 6 feet apart up to an elevation 

 of 500 feet. Above that we put them closer. Lower down we 

 are planting Japanese larch at 6 feet, and hybrid larch at 

 6 feet, using i-year i-year transplants which are growing well 

 this season. Douglas we are planting at 7 feet. We have very 

 little Scots pine, but I think 4 feet is quite wide enough for that 

 species. Spruce we plant at 3^ feet to 4 feet, but you could 

 plant up to 6 feet or 7 feet." 



The Chairman. — "On the question of contracting, that of 

 course is obviously the way to do it, if you can trust the men to 

 put the plants in with proper care. It has been suggested that 

 one might use one's foreman, or other good estate man, and give 

 him the contracts. He will employ local or estate men (by 

 permission). You make up your mind that it will cost you 

 ;^5oo to plant a certain hill economically. You say to your 

 foreman, who has probably got a family, ' We will give you 

 ;;^5oo to plant that hill. When you have done that, if it is 

 well done, we will give you another one to do.' Of course 

 you stop wages during the contract, though you may advance 

 him enough to pay the men he employs. Thus the estate 

 men are kept in employment. If you have got any other 

 land to plant you say, ' If you do what is allotted to you 

 quickly and well, we will give you another contract before 

 the season is over.' I think you would find the ground would 

 be planted very expeditiously, and that the contractor would 

 come back very soon to get another contract, especially if he 

 is a man whose house is near the work. The same way with 

 thinning. Undoubtedly, if you can get that done by contract it 

 is probably the easiest way to get it done, especially if it is 

 near the contractor's own house, because it is of great assistance 

 to a man in bringing up his family to be able to get a bit of that 

 kind of work at odd times. 



As far as rabbits are concerned, I am perfectly certain 

 that the best results are not obtained by entrusting the 

 rabbit killing either to keepers or to professional rabbit 

 trappers who work under contracts. There must be always 

 a sense of regret in the gamekeeper's mind with every 



