l6o THE LAECH. 



No better proof could well be adduced of the valu- 

 able state of the trees than the circumstance that a 

 wood merchant offered ;^300 for one hundred of the 

 trees, notwithstanding the distance was fully ten miles 

 from the nearest station on the Highland Eailway. 

 The surrounding ground is letting as sheep pasture 

 at about 2s. 6d. per acre, while under larch it has 

 realised 25 s., minus compound interest on 32 s. 6d., 

 the original computed cost of forming the plantation. 



'No. 3. This is a plantation in Eoss-shire contain- 

 ing 60 acres, planted in 1 8 1 2. It was originally 

 enclosed with a turf dyke, and planted with larch 5 

 feet apart. The whole expenses of enclosing, plants, 

 and planting were about 35 s. per acre. Thinning was 

 well attended to at an early age, and fencing being 

 required in the district, induced thinning to be car- 

 ried on to the great advantage of the future crop. 



The soil is dry and sandy, with a sub- soil of stones 

 and gravel. The natural herbage is a mixture of grass 

 and heather. The average number of trees upon the 

 ground is, or till recently was, 136 per acre, which 

 averaged 30 cubic feet each of saleable timber. The 

 annual increase of wood at the present time is a little 

 over one foot per tree, or say is., which multiplied by 

 136, gives jC6, 1 6s. as the annual increased value per 

 acre. The whole crop is in a very healthy condition, 

 and the growth is likely to continue satisfactory for 

 about eighty years, at which age, assuming the growth 

 to continue as at present, the value would stand thus 

 — 136 trees at present value, 30s. each — ;^204 



