VALUE AS A CROP. 1 63 



the latter, no attention was paid to it by way of thin- 

 ning till nearly thirty years planted, when parts were 

 thinned for pit props ; and in thinning for this purpose, 

 instead of cutting down all the inferior growths and 

 sickly trees, the reverse of this was practised, and in 

 general those trees were cut which were most suitable 

 for the market, without respect to the permanent crop. 

 The result was that many of the slender up-drawn 

 trees were blown down. 



This manner of thinningj was not continued throuQ-h- 

 out the whole extent of the plantation, hence portions 

 of it escaped this improper treatment. At the present 

 time this plantation is in general in a thriving state. 

 Having a dry soil and subsoil favours it greatly. 

 Where the trees are not in a vigorous state of growth, 

 it is owing to the soil being too hard and impervious 

 for the roots to run in ; but where the soil is at all 

 loose and open, the trees are growing well. The fol- 

 lowing are three respective valuations of the crop : — 

 First valuation, 300 trees, at 5s. 8d. each = ^^85. 

 Second, 240 trees, at 4s. each = ;^48. Third, 220 

 trees, at 3s. 6d. each = ^^38, los. In the first esti- 

 mate those acres containing the largest number of trees 

 are of most value, because the good trees were not 

 cut down ; and in the latter case, where the number 

 of trees is small, the value is also small, because in 

 thinning the best trees were cut, and the number per 

 acre so reduced as not to leave the ground properly 

 covered. 



No. 6 is a larch plantation in Eoxburghshire, inter- 



