PREPARING WORKING-PLANS FOR BRITISH WOODLANDS. 31 
know the woods in his charge better than any other official on 
the estate, except the forester; and from long acquaintance with 
them, and frequent visits at all times of the year, he should be 
in a far better position than anyone else to draw up a sound and 
rational working-plan for any given period in advance, for in 
this he can also utilise with advantage his intimate personal 
knowledge concerning the tendency of local demand, the rise and 
fall in the market, and the prices paid for the different kinds of 
woodland produce. No professor of forestry, or so-called 
“expert,” no matter how much of the alphabet he may be 
able to hieroglyph after his name in representation of university 
degrees and diplomas of examining boards, can possibly, in 
visiting any wood or plantation on one single occasion, obtain so 
correct an idea of the whole of it as ought to be possessed by the 
thoroughly qualified land-agent who has visited it time after time, 
and has become intimately acquainted with every portion of it. 
But can the land-agent in charge of a large estate find the 
time that is required to collect all the data needed, and to draw 
up a well-considered scheme of management for the woods and 
plantations in his charge? ‘That is a question I cannot attempt 
to answer. No doubt any exceptionally energetic land-agent will 
manage to find the necessary time if he really makes up his 
mind that such a working-plan is desirable, and that he intends 
to frame one. 
It may perhaps, however, convey some useful information on 
the subject if I give the details of the labour incurred in drawing 
up a very simple working-plan (which I have just completed) 
for goo acres of woods and plantations situated in the west of 
England. These woods consist of comparatively small areas, 
usually varying from 4 up to 30 acres in extent, and widely 
scattered over the different sections of an estate extending into 
three counties. The woodlands themselves are at present classifi- 
able as follows :— 
Acres. 
A—Ash-coppices (with a few standards), . 54 
B—Oak copsewoods, with oak, ash and hazel 
underwood, and numerous ‘standards, 2) 446 
C—Broad-leaved highwoods, ; : wipers 
D—Conifer highwoods,_. ote RO 
#—FExcluded miscellaneous woods, mostly orna- 
mental or wind-screens, ; ‘ , 43 
Total, . - 898 
