217 



as I went along, that after the second thinning, the 

 ground must be filled up anew with plants, as the 

 larch is not like the oak to grow from cutting ; and 

 when the old trees are cut down, the ground will be 

 full : thus, there will be always a cutting more or 

 less, as the demand for the timber may be. 



Narrow Stripe of Planting on Righill Farm. Es- 

 tate of Howallan, Ayrshire^ Surveyed in April 

 1829. 



The eyes of every human being that passes along 

 the public road where this stripe joins, must feel hurt 

 as if a handful of sand was cast into them, on seeing 

 such a narrow circumscribed stripe of planting along 

 land so much in want of clothing and shelter ; as it 

 must be plain to a demonstration, that every stripe 

 or belt of planting put round a farm or field of cold 

 bare land of this kind, will be so far from taking any 

 thing off the rent of the land, by its clothing, warm- 

 ing and sheltering the cattle, or even crop on these 

 fields, it will add at least 20s. an acre of rent to all 

 such fields so sheltered by planting. The cattle 

 thrive much better, where warm and sheltered, the 

 pasture is more abundant and nourishing, and the 

 crop more luxuriant. This stripe should be carried 

 up to the next farm, and the whole should be widen- 

 ed at least 40 yards in all, with two or three offsets 

 in form of a half-moon, which will add much to the 

 shelter and cover of this place. This narrow stripe, 

 as might well be expected, is fallen dreadfully into 

 decay. As I am now about to enter on the planting 

 of new ground, which is much wanted, not only on 



