EXPERIMENTAL FORESTRY AREA IN WALES. 2 I 



silver fir and Scots pine. Plot 23. European larch, silver fir and 

 Scots pine. Plot 24. European larch. Plot 25. European larch. 

 Plot 26. Norway spruce. Plot 27. Corsican pine. Plot 28. Scots 

 pine. Plot 29. Norway spruce. Plot 30. Arborvitae. Plot 31. 

 Douglas fir. 



It will be seen from the above that very few broad-leaved 

 trees have been planted, the reason being, of course, that the 

 elevation and character of the soil make the area more suitable 

 for coniferous species. On the whole, the broad-leaved trees 

 have done badly. At present, the beech is the only exception to 

 the rule ; the others may improve, however, after they have fairly 

 established themselves. 



The conifers which have grown most rapidly up to the present 

 are the Douglas fir, European and Japanese larch. One plot 

 of Douglas fir, growing at over 1000 feet elevation, shows an 

 average height of 8 ft. 6 ins., although only planted in 1907. 

 The growth for the past three years has averaged 2 feet per 

 annum. As is usually the case with this species, there is con- 

 siderable disparity in growth between the individual plants. 

 The tallest young trees are already 12 feet in height, and quite 

 a number have made growths of 4 feet in length during the past 

 season. While speaking of the Douglas fir, it may be said that 

 it has been found best to use 3-year-old transplants, about i foot 

 in height, rather than nursery stock of larger size. For example, 

 Douglas firs which had been standing side by side in the home 

 nursery were planted on two adjoining plots. In the one case, 

 the trees were planted out after one year in the lines, but in the 

 other case, after two years. The former were i foot high when 

 planted, and are now 8 ft, 6 ins.; the latter were 2 ft. 3 ins. high 

 when planted, and are now 4 ft. 6 ins. Attention may be 

 drawn to the small number of deaths occurring among the 

 Douglas firs, only 382 out of 12,175, ^^ equivalent of 3 pisr cent., 

 having been lost. On one of the smaller plots, the Colorado 

 Douglas fir is being tried alongside of the Oregon variety. Up 

 to the present the former has shown very slow growth, indeed 

 it has not been easy to prevent weeds from smothering the trees ; 

 nor has the Eraser River variety proved superior in any way to 

 the Oregon Douglas. 



Common larch is being grown pure on three plots with a view 

 to varied treatment at a later stage. For example, heavy 

 thinning and light thinning will be tested, and parts will be 



