INSPECTION OF WOODS AND AFFORESTABLE LANDS. l6l 



thus 15 trees are left as seeding trees, which are removed when 

 the area is more or less re-stocked. This method has been found 

 to work well here, and has the advantage of not only allowing 

 the seeding trees to develop shoots sufficient to produce healthy- 

 seed, but also there is little or no danger from wind-blows. 



After the Scots pine woods here begin to open up naturally, or 

 are opened up artificially, admitting light and air, the ground is 

 very quickly covered with heather and moss, which if not disturbed 

 would render self-seeding impossible, or at least of little con- 

 sequence. In order to combat this as far as possible the woods 

 are grazed heavily and closely by farm stock, — thus the heather 

 is to a certain extent kept in check and the mossy surface 

 disturbed and broken up. The breaking up of the surface for 

 the reception of seed could be done by workmen, but this 

 would add considerably to the expense, and as almost the same 

 benefit can be got by pasturing, that method is adopted here. 

 At the seeding stage all sheep and cattle are removed. 



Although the selection and compartment system is always 

 applied here, evidence is not wanting that the strip system 

 would be successful in some cases. 



Tomiiiourd Plantation. — The area of this plantation is 103 1 

 acres, and it rises in altitude from 620 feet to 1350 feet. Up to 

 1000 feet the crop grew well, but beyond that elevation the 

 trees fell off considerably. The north side to the extent of 520 

 acres has been recently felled or cleared of old trees, the crop 

 then being an equal mixture of Scots pine and larch. The 

 fellings extended over a period of 17 years. To begin with, 

 larch came up a pure crop where the herbage was mainly 

 heather, but latterly the percentage has increased in favour of 

 Scots pine. On grassy surfaces self-seeding was not so perfect, 

 especially on the lower levels, and artificial planting had to be 

 resorted to in order to make the crop complete. The young 

 natural larch here is almost completely free from disease, and 

 although in places the plantation is so thick and close as almost 

 to exclude light and air, the plants remain immune. Larch 

 aphis {Chermes laricis) attacks the crop occasionally, but so far 

 has not acted as a serious check. So long as the larch remains 

 healthy it will be left to form a pure crop, but if it begins 

 to show signs of disease it will be immediately thinned out and 

 underplanted. The main point here was the area of pure larch 

 produced by natural regeneration. 



