140 ON THE PRESENT STATE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS 



practised so often in this county as it ought to be, and in many 

 instances where attempts are made to prune, the trees acted upon 

 (which are generally those grown in hedge-rows) are more disfigured 

 than benefited by the operation. 



Thinning of Plantations. — Besides all other arguments in favour 

 of early thinning, we have the advantage of a ready market for 

 even the earliest thinnings, which are used by farmers, gardeners, 

 crate-makers, &c, for various purposes, the price obtained repaying 

 the cost of labour. Yet I fear there is a tendency rather to 

 neglect thinning at this stage, and afterwards to do it too severely. 

 On many estates even of considerable size no qualified forester is kept 

 to whom this duty can be intrusted. In such cases a professional 

 timber valuator is called in whenever it is thought desirable to have 

 a sale of timber. To him is intrusted the duty of thinning the 

 plantations, and putting a value on the trees to be cut down. This 

 state of things is very objectionable, and is rendered more so in 

 some cases by a percentage being allowed the valuator on the 

 money drawn at the sale. That is certainly an inducement to get 

 in the largest possible amount of cash, but it may be to the 

 ruin of the plantation, by thinning too severely or removing trees 

 which should have been left. On small estates, where there is not 

 sufficient employment for a forester, some disadvantage of this kind 

 must be submitted to. It is obvious, however, that where a 

 qualified person is in charge, whose professional character depends 

 on the manner in which he discharges his duties, he will take 

 more interest in his work than a person only called in for the time 

 being. It must be understood that the class of persons here 

 spoken of is very different from the landscape gardener, being 

 simply valuators, and not professing to understand the thinning or 

 general management of plantations. Thinning requires much 

 attention in all cases, but particularly in a picturesque or hilly 

 district. There is not only the welfare of the plantation to be con- 

 sidered, but also the shelter of adjoining land and the beauty 

 of the landscape. An important part of thinning here is clearing 

 out the underwood, which can always be profitably disposed of, 

 and, if of hazel or ash, is much sought after. It can be cut with 

 most advantage at from six to ten years' growth. When a 

 quantity of wood is marked for sale, the common method adopted 

 is, in the first place, to have all the underwood cut and sorted, the 

 different classes tied up into bundles, and carried to the roadside. 

 Any plants likely to make good timber trees are left in open spaces, 



