30 ON THE PRESENT STATE AND PROSPECTS OF 



ignored. Another reason is, that the wet portions of estates are 

 invariably converted into " gullies," which must be drained to 

 produce a healthy crop. Throughout the county, underwood 

 draining receives fair attention, but timber plantations are often 

 sadly neglected. Even where drains exist, they are often allowed 

 to become receptacles for leaves and rubbish, until all traces of them 

 are obliterated, while underwood drains are generally cleared each 

 time the wood is cut. This branch of forestry seems, on the whole, 

 to be imperfectly understood. The drains are often too shallow, 

 too far apart, and unprovided with a sufficient outlet. It is not 

 unusual to see lateral drains terminate at a green ride in the 

 middle of the wood. The accumulated water then overflows the 

 ride, and finds its way into shallow drains on the opposite side. 

 Such a state of things is discreditable in the management of many 

 plantations. ' 



In upland districts, where sheep-farming prevails, the principal 

 coppice woods are hazel, oak, and ash, which are cut periodically, 

 and converted into wicker hurdles and sheep cages. These under- 

 growths are invariably grown in oak coppice plantations where 

 the timber consists exclusively of stock shoots allowed to remain 

 when the underwood was cut. Here a question arises in regard 

 to growing more than one crop at a time on the same land. Those 

 adverse to this system contend that the two crops cannot be pro- 

 fitably grown together, as underwood prevents the healthy develop- 

 ment of timber trees, which react and damage the undergrowth. 

 They argue thus : — " During the first period of growth, the trees, 

 being young, do little injury to the tender shoots. Consequently, 

 these grow luxuriantly, exclude the sun's rays, and retard the 

 circulation of air amongst the branches. In the beginning of 

 winter, the whole of this underwood is cut and cleared, and the 

 trees that were unduly sheltered are exposed at the coldest season 

 of the year to a sudden change of temperature. In consequence, 

 the health and vigour of the trees are destroyed, they become 

 what foresters term 'hide-bound,' cease to increase in height, 

 acquire a low spreading habit of growth, and are comparatively 

 worthless as timber trees. In a short time the horizontal spread 

 of the branches is out of all proportion to the length of the stems, 

 and the drip and shade occasioned thereby do more damage to the 

 succeeding crops of underwood than the timber itself is worth. 

 Thus the crops act and react on each other until ultimately they 

 become so much deteriorated in value that the only effectual treat- 



