EXPERIMENTAL FORESTRY AREA IN WALES. I 9 



2. Experimental Forestry Area in Wales. 



By Fraser Story, University College, Bangor. 



At a time when there is much talk of starting experimental 

 areas and demonstration forests, it may be useful to describe 

 what has been done in Wales. 



Early in 1906 a private proprietor, Mr John ^lahler, of 

 Penissa Glyn, presented the freehold of fifty acres of land to 

 the County Council of Denbighshire, with the object of establish- 

 ing an experimental area in forestry. The only conditions which 

 were attached to the gift were that the cost of planting should 

 be borne by the County, and that the experiments should be 

 carried out under the direction of the Forestry Department at 

 Bangor. 



In the spring of that year a forest nursery was formed, and 

 in the following season planting operations were commenced. 

 It was not considered desirable to carry out all the planting at 

 one time, but the plots were gradually established during the 

 next three seasons, so that while some of the sections show six 

 years' growth, others contain plants of only half that age. 



It should perhaps be explained that the area stands at an 

 elevation varying from 950 to 1250 feet above sea-level, the 

 top plots all but reaching the summit of the hill. 



The natural vegetation consists largely of gorse, bracken and 

 grass, with occasional patches of bramble. Here and there 

 the rock comes to the surface. It will, therefore, be evident 

 that ordinary hill land of the " mountain and heath " description 

 has been chosen, and the treatment accorded to the young 

 plants has also been such as might be given in ordinary cases 

 of upland planting. The soil is a light weathered shale, 

 overlying Silurian rock. 



A narrow lane, connecting the small hamlet of Pontfadog 

 with Oswestry, runs along the bottom of the area for some 

 distance, so that visitors generally find it convenient to take 

 the light railway from Chirk station to Pontfadog, and climb 

 the hill from the latter point. As both Chirk and Oswestry are 

 in Shropshire, it will be realised how near the area is to the 

 English border. 



About 116,000 trees have been planted, these being contained 

 in thirty-one large plots (i^ acre in extent), ten small plots, 



