146 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
land. The plants were planted in rows, about 3 feet apart, and 
in the following way:—A straight track was dug, about one 
spade in width and one in depth. Scots pine plants, either 
2-years’ seedlings, or t-year-1-year transplants, were then 
planted in the tracks, in what we might describe as fairly thick 
order, for the total number of plants was 8000 per acre. The 
young plants took well to the dug soil, when protected by the 
heather from frost, and, being fairly thick in the lines, a quick 
branch-suppression was effected on two sides, and canopy was 
fairly quickly established by the meeting of the branches between 
the rows. It was stated that the digging of the trenches cost 
41, 138. 4d. per acre. The ground was netted, as rabbits were 
plentiful. On leaving this Scots pine plantation we came to a 
better class of soil, which had been stocked very much after the 
fashion of our own mixed woods. The method of management, 
however, was different. After the plantation had been estab- 
lished for six years, a certain number of species were cut down 
to the ground, and a certain number left uncut. Those left 
uncut were oak, ash, elm, larch, and hornbeam, and those cut 
down were white alder, willow, birch, and sycamore. ‘The cut- 
ting down had been done four years prior to our visit, and we 
certainly saw what our sportsmen would call a very fine game 
covert. By this treatment the crop was improved, and the 
struggle intensified just at the proper time. In the future, many 
of the species cut down will develop into straight, well-grown 
trees, and those left uncut will be drawn up and sheltered just at 
the period when the struggle for mastery and shelter are important 
factors; but, of course, it has to be remembered that the all- 
important thing is the subsequent management. A striking 
feature observed in connection with these woods was the way in 
which the crop had been adapted to the various kinds of soil. 
The poorer land is on the southern slope, and here the crop is 
pure Scots pine. On the opposite slope, in descending which 
the land becomes richer, the crop consists of mixed hardwoods. 
The sylvicultural features of the coniferous woods here require 
special mention. At one place (see Fig. 2) we saw the trees 
standing at from 18 inches to 24 inches apart. This plantation 
was somewhere between ten and fifteen years of age. The dead 
branches had all been pruned off, with the double object of 
improving the prospective value of the timber and to facilitate 
the shooting of the roe-deer, which are the greatest enemies the 
