144 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH’ ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
It should be noted that a mixture of Austrian and Scots pine 
is considered a very good one, inasmuch as the Austrian pine 
retains its leaves for four years, thus giving greater shade, and 
the dense foliage produces a considerable amount of humus, thus 
protecting the soil from drought. 
From Rochefort the party drove to St Hubert, and on Wed- 
nesday morning they left the latter place and journeyed by tram- 
way to Poix, in order to visit the Mirwart estate of Mr J. P. 
von der Becke, of Antwerp. On the journey from St Hubert to 
Poix, a curious combination of sylviculture and agriculture, 
known as Sartage, was seen. The sylvicultural crop was birch 
coppice-with-standards. When the coppice is cut and cleared 
away, all the rubbish left lying on the ground is burned, and this 
is done in two ways:—(1) The rubbish is raked into heaps, 
burned, and the ashes spread, or (2) it is fired as it lies broadcast 
on the ground, the fire being made to run along the surface. 
The cleared ground is then partially cultivated, and sown with 
rye, 8 cwts. of basic slag per acre being added prior to the 
sowing of the rye. (See Fig. 1.) This cultivation is done for 
one year only in communal woods and for two years in private 
woods. 
The domain of Mirwart has changed hands several times, 
and the following extract from a statement regarding its history 
and management, prepared by Dr Schlich, which occurs in the 
guide-book is interesting :— 
“ The history of the domain of Mirwart goes back to the ninth 
century, when the estate belonged to a Count of Hainault. It 
changed hands repeatedly, and one of its proprietors was 
Adolphe de la Marche, known as the Wild Boar of the 
Ardennes, and referred to in Scott’s grand novel of Quentin 
Durward. The estate is now only a fraction of what it was 
formerly. It was purchased in 1891 by Mr J. P. von der Becke, 
of Antwerp, and Dr W. Schlich, of Coopers Hill. In 1903 the 
latter sold his share in the property to the family von der Becke, 
to whom the estate now belongs. 
“The area is as follows: — 
Woods, . : ; : 2875 acres. 
Fields and meadows, _ . : 4250 
Totals. : 3300 5, 
