APPENDIX. 47 



The fourth and moft univerfal fyftem of planting, in 

 mountainous and expofed fituations, was purfued ac- 

 cording to the following plan. 



Small ditches were made in feveral directions, fome- 

 times crooked, at other times ftraight, but moft com- 

 monly of a winding difpofition, always taking an ad- 

 vantage of the fituation and expofure. There were 

 three principal objefts in view, namely, the draining of 

 the foil ; the creating of /helter ; and fecuring a fuffi- 

 ciency of earth to nourifo the trees. The more ex- 

 pofed, the nearer it was neceflary to introduce the 

 ditches ; but for brevity fake I (hall fet down the ave- 

 y rage diflance at twenty-one feet apart. An acre, ac- 

 cording to this diftance, contains 320 perches of 

 ditch; and, by allowing fourteen trees to the perch, 

 the number to the acre is found equal to 4,484 j one 

 thoufand of which, at leaft, were always oak. 



Oak, afti, and fycamore, were chiefly preferred for 

 the main or permanent timber ; beech was fometimes 

 introduced, but this article does not bear cutting, when 

 put into the faces of ditches, fo well as the foregoing. 

 Inftead of planting alternately, the different kinds were 

 put in, in groupes; but I fhould have remarked before, 

 that great quantities of mouritain-afli, alder, birch, 

 poplar, &c., were introduced in ftrong bodies between 

 the valuable plants, varying all the articles (except the 

 oak, which was univerfal} according to the natu'rc of 

 the foil. 



s The 



