66 Practical Forestry 



3ft., all being placed 4 ft. apart. Owing to the land having 

 recently been under cultivation and labour at that time 

 being cheap in the district, the opening of pits was carried 

 out by contract at quite a nominal rate, the size of each being 

 12 in. square and 9 in. deep. After being planted the trees 

 required little attention for the first six years, at which 

 period they averaged 8 ft. in height, and the shade occa- 

 sioned by the branch spread had killed out most of the 

 grassy undergrowth. 



As the plantations were primarily intended for ornament 

 and shelter, the retention of the lower branches of the trees, 

 at least along the margin, was imperative, and in order to 

 ensure this, early thinning was engaged in and carried out 

 at regular intervals up to the present time, always bearing 

 in mind to allow the boundary trees plenty of room for 

 branch development, those inwards, in order to induce clean 

 growth, being left much closer on the ground. Though in 

 the latter case the volume of timber produced is compara- 

 tively less than along the margins, yet it is of greater value 

 owing to the trees being straight and clean- stemmed, the 

 only exception being the Corsican pine which, even when 

 isolated, has little inclination to form stout side branches. 



The soil being light and resting on gravel was peculiarly 

 suited for the growth of the pines, none of which suffered 

 from disease or insect attack, though the Weymouth had 

 occasional patches of the aphis with which it is usually 

 attacked around London. The larch was practically free 

 from canker. 



During recent thinning operations a good opportunity was 

 afforded of taking the actual measurements when felled of 

 the various species of trees, these being as follows : 



Austrian pine, average height, 46 ft. ; cubic contents, 9 ft. 



Corsican 51 ft.; 11 ft. 



Scotch 45 ft.; 8 ft. 



Weymouth 42 ft. ; ,,6 ft. 



Larch 47 ft. ; ,,8 ft. 



It will thus be seen that the Corsican pine has surpassed 

 all the others both in height and in the quantity of timber 



