EXTRA-TROPICAL FORESTRY IN PORTUGAL. 73 



lessons are to be learnt by those who can go to Spain and 

 Portugal for the purpose of studying forestry. Portugal imports 

 one-third million pounds' worth (against three millions, Australia, 

 and thirty millions, Britain) of forest products which, with good 

 forestry, would come from the waste lands of each of these three 

 countries. Portugal exports about one and a quarter million 

 pounds' worth of forest products — cork, one million ; Cluster Pine 

 pit-props, etc., one-quarter million — against Australia, one million, 

 and Britain nothing (the figures shown being re-exportations). 

 Portugal and Australia have each a population of over four 

 millions. 



12. Classification of Moorland at Fersit for 

 Purposes of Planting. 



{With Plate.) 



By Donald Grant. 



In vol. xxviii. p. 72 of the Transactions I dealt with planting 

 on ''deep peat," or what is called "flow moss." It is now my 

 purpose to describe the "shallow peat,'" or what is termed "hill 

 moss." The "flow moss" is met with in hollows, at the foot of 

 steep slopes, and on flat areas, and very often attains a depth of 

 10 feet. This kind of moss is classified according to colour, 

 texture and depth ; the herbage serves also as a valuable 

 indicator of the most suitable species of tree to plant. 



The first-class quality of this moss is very deep, is of fine 

 texture, dark in colour, and easily cut. Large quantities of 

 decayed birch stumps are found at a considerable depth below 

 the surface, and sometimes quantities of Scots pine roots are met 

 with, although the latter are found more abundantly in the third- 

 class quality. On it grow flying bent {Molinia ccrmlea), bog 

 myrtle {Afyrica gale), orchids, devil's bit {Scabiosa), a little 

 heather {Calhina vulgaris) and some dwarf willows. It is 

 principally distinguished, however, by the large amount of flying 

 bent which grows on it. This quality is best adapted for growing 

 Sitka spruce (Plate VIII. Fig. i) and Norway spruce. Scots 

 pine and mountain pine also grow well, but very deep drainage, 

 in the course of time, would be necessary owing to the length 

 of the tap roots which they develop. 



In the second-class quality of "flow moss" the peat does 

 not attain a great average depth, seldom more than 18 inches, 



