ON ARBORICULTURE IN YORKSHIKK. 137 



XIV. On the Present State and Future Prospects of Arboricul- 

 ture in Yorkshire. By David Tait, Forester, Owston 

 Park. 



Arboriculture is daily becoming of more importance, not only 

 to landed proprietors, but to the commercial interests of the 

 nation. Foreign timber has lately risen in price about 50 per cent., 

 the result of which has been to raise the price of that grown at 

 home to an equal, and in some cases even a greater amount. It is, 

 notwithstanding, astonishing to find so much ignorance existing in 

 regard to arboricultural matters, both in a practical and a scientific 

 light. Plantations are too commonly looked upon simply as game 

 preserves, not existing for any benefit to the country, or even to 

 the owner, except as affording sport to a limited section of the com- 

 munity. "It, however, only requires a slight acquaintance with 

 the subject to show that, while they conduce to a certain amount of 

 sport, they are of infinitely greater importance as a source of revenue 

 to the proprietor, and also to the agricidtural and commercial inte- 

 rests of the country. 



In the following remarks I will deal with the subject from a 

 practical point of view, and shall endeavour to give a description of 

 the prominent features of arboriculture in Yorkshire. 



In this country we must expect to find the proprietor of 

 woodlands consulting his own taste in their management, 

 — that is, whether he will have them kept merely as game pre- 

 serves, or managed so as to increase the revenue of his estates. 

 If proprietors can be shown that it is their interest to lay out and 

 manage their plantations in a scientific manner and on sound prin- 

 ciples, we may expect them to look at the subject more from an 

 arboricultural point of view, and make the consideration of shoot- 

 ing or hunting a secondary matter, so far as their plantations are 

 concerned. 



In laying out plantations in this county, as elsewhere, pro- 

 prietors have been influenced by various motives. Love of sport, 

 ornament, shelter, and profit have all contributed to the increase 

 of woodland property. The result is, that plantations have not 

 always been laid out to the best advantage, or the most suitable 

 trees planted in different soils and situations. 



Fences. — The thorn hedge is the most common, the management 



