WORKING-PLAN OF THE CASTLE HILL WOODLANDS. 37 
evergreen conifers are present, including spruce, Scots pine, 
silver fir, Corsican pine and Douglas fir. The glaucous Douglas 
fir occurs sparsely mixed with other trees. It has thriven well, 
having attained in forty years a circumference of nearly 8 feet, 
and a height of go feet. This variety, which Professor Fisher 
states is certainly not the Colorado Douglas fir, grows quicker 
than larch, but the green or Pacific Douglas fir should be 
preferred to it. Larch on the estate is somewhat affected 
by disease, but apparently not to a serious extent: in the 
future, however, the admixture of other species, particularly 
beech, is advised. Common alder sells well, and the planting 
of white alder (Alnus incana) is suggested. The author’s 
statement that the timber of the latter is of ‘somewhat better 
quality” may perhaps be questioned. Hazel occurs largely 
in the underwood, and finds a market as spar stakes and for 
barrel hoops: the association with it of ash is recommended 
for the future. 
All these items of information, and others concerning labour, 
insect pests, climatic conditions, etc., are interesting, and find 
their proper place in the general Plan. It is, however, the 
proposals for future systematic management that we regard 
as of chief importance. ‘These proposals are embodied in 
Part III. of the Report. This section commences with the 
statement that “hitherto the woodlands have been managed 
without any well-considered system, so that the underwood 
in most of the broad-leaved woods has not been cut for years. 
Many large branchy standards are mixed with coniferous 
trees, and in some cases broad-leaved trees are grown 
where conifers would thrive, and vice versa.” Of how many 
woodlands in Britain might this not be said? To bring 
these woods into some sort of order is the task which Professor 
Fisher has set himself. 
He proposes to do this, in the case of the broad-leaved 
woods, by the system of Coppice-with-standards, As underwood 
is said to be at all times saleable at Castle Hill, an early 
return from the coppice is assured, and this it is which has led 
to the choice of the system. Ultimately the underwood will 
be worked upon a rotation of probably twenty-five years, but in 
order to bring the existing coppice (nearly all of which is ready 
for felling) into somewhat better condition, it is proposed to 
distribute the present fellings over fifteen years. At the end of 
