THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 73 



creosoting plant, there is about a mile of tramway plant, and as 

 there is, or will be, a sufficient acreage, practically in one block, 

 to work continuously, it probably provides the most economical 

 method of transport. 



After passing through the division on the lower ground, 

 stocked with spruce, the members were much interested in the 

 Scots pine area, which is being cut over at the present time. 

 Owing to a very bad attack of pine weevil {Hylobtus abietis) a 

 few years ago, it was decided, after other measures had been 

 tried, to "pan-fell" for a time. This method was being practised 

 during the visit of the party, and is not so costly an operation as 

 might be expected. The surface roots are cut with a mattock 

 or pickaxe at a distance of about 3 feet from the stem, and are 

 cleared to a depth of 15 inches; a wire rope and winch, anchored 

 to a neighbouring tree, are used to pull the tree over. When 

 the stem is severed, the roots are left standing on edge, the 

 branches are piled on them and set fire to. The flames char 

 the roots, and thus make them unsuitable as a breeding-place 

 for weevil. This operation (which also breaks up the pan), 

 together with hand-picking the mature insect, has been so 

 successful that this year the weevil attack has been only 

 sporadic, tens being found where thousands had been gathered 

 during each of the last four years. 



The pine beetle {Hylurgus piniperda) has also been very 

 troublesome during the last few years, and the barked stems 

 seen showed the frass left by tens of thousands of the larvae just 

 recently destroyed. By seasonable felling it is hoped to keep 

 down this pest within moderate limits. Notwithstanding the 

 loss of increment through the beetle attacks, and much damage 

 by squirrels a few years ago, the stems average 30 cubic feet 

 each, and stand about 140 to the acre, representing a crop of 

 4200 cubic feet per acre at about 90 years' growth. The party 

 made a hurried inspection of the recently formed plantations 

 on old ground, where the extent of the damage done by weevil 

 and beetle attacks was indicated by the bushy appearance of the 

 plants. Plantations formed on new ground showed a healthy, 

 robust growth, except in the case of spruce that had been badly 

 damaged by frost on the 13th, 14th and 15th of June, — about 

 a fortnight before our visit. 



A crop of Japanese larch, European larch and Scots pine, 

 planted together thirteen years ago, showed an extremely healthy 



