128 TRANSACTIONS OK ROYAL SCOTTISH ARliORlCUI.TURAL SOCIETY. 



it is a doubtful point if shelter-belt planting should not 

 be entirely debited to ' improvements ' and not to ' woods,' 

 because in the majority of cases the position precludes profitable 

 working. However, as this is a question of estate finance 

 outside the decision of the forester, I repeat my assertion that 

 coming as I do from a large stock country, I believe in the 

 principle of shelter planting. 



" And now for my second point as regards methods. I 

 should say that in hilly countries of large areas the belts 

 should be of fair size, and not less than three or four chains 

 in width, and in length and shape according to the prevailing 

 winds, local storms, etc. And where one belt does not meet 

 the case, having regard to sheep *raikes,' they may be in 

 groups overlapping and interlocking with each other so as to 

 give the maximum of unbroken shelter. As regards land more 

 valuable than hill land, very much narrower strips would, if 

 planted with the proper species, have a beneficial influence on 

 stock. As regards position and altitude opinions will obviously 

 differ ; but my own opinion is that no fixed rule can be laid 

 down. The two questions to be considered are how to get the 

 maximum advantage with the minimum cost, and whether there 

 is a reasonable prospect of the natural pasture being amenable 

 to improvement or good enough to justify expenditure. 



" In some cases the top of the hill may form a good position 

 for sheltering trees ; in other cases it may be entirely un- 

 suitable, as to plant on the summit of a hill where the land 

 is very poor is to court disaster from blown trees. While 

 the forester naturally covets good soil as a means of securing 

 success, the conditions of the case suggest a medium altitude, 

 always beginning with nature's shelter and then gradually in- 

 creasing the good influences of shelter to the advantage of the 

 flockmaster. I would like to remark that in Belgium the bottom 

 of the hill, or some place with natural shelter, is always chosen 

 as a starting-point, and planting is then gradually continued 

 upwards from the established shelter, I have no wish to push 

 the idea that Belgian forestry is parallel with our shelter 

 planting. But even for the latter there is to my mind no harm 

 in reminding ourselves that it is far better to try to work 

 with nature rather than to attempt to fight her. In further 

 emphasis of this statement, let us remember that the con- 

 ditions which exist in our hilly countries are such that the 



