THE LAYING-OUT OF A MIXED PLANTATION. 47 
system of catch-water drains. If these are properly arranged, 
whole tracts of ground formerly wet can often be rendered 
sufficiently dry for the production of a timber-crop. 
The usual size of plantation-drains on the Murthly estate 
(Perthshire) is 36 inches wide at the top and 24 inches deep. 
The width at the bottom is not more than the breadth of a 
common spade. 
Whatever depth the drains are cut, the sides should be allowed 
an easy slope so as to prevent their falling in, and to allow of 
easy cleaning when necessary. 
Roadways.—Good roadways will always add to the value of 
plantations. Though it may not at first be necessary to have 
them permanently laid down, their lines ought, however, to be 
fixed previous to planting, as at this stage the best direction can 
be easily determined. Their further construction can be done at 
any time previous to the removal of timber. It may, however, 
be advisable to cut a ditch along each side of the roadways, as 
this will keep them at all times in a moderately dry condition. 
An advantage of roadways or open lines is the facilities they 
afford for battue-shooting. 
Planting.—The ground being laid out, fenced and drained, the 
next matter of importance is the selection of suitable kinds of trees 
for the given soil and situation. Climate, soil, and shelter may 
vary considerably in different localities, hence the necessity of 
having a proper selection of suitable species for the various soils, 
altitudes, and exposures to be met with. 
To plant with success, many difficulties have to be contended 
with. The destruction by game on many estates is very dis- 
couraging. Although rabbits and hares may be excluded, in 
some localities blackgame and capercailzie often do much 
damage to pine by picking out the leading buds, and thus causing 
stunted and misshapen trees. Another difficulty with which one 
has often to contend, owing to our extensive sea-board, is the 
particles of sea-salt, particularly injurious to evergreen trees and 
shrubs, that are carried by the wind and deposited on leaves and 
branches. By a proper selection of the species for seaside 
planting this danger may be partially overcome, as some trees 
have the power of resisting the injurious effect of sea-salt on 
their growth. 
The selection of the best kinds of trees for the various soils and 
situations is, of course, a matter of the first moment, yet there is 
