IMPOKTANT LOCAL PLANTING. 75 



and as their height was only about 5 inches when 

 put in, those on the exposed parts will have a fair 

 chance of getting a firm hold of the ground before the 

 wind can have much power to disturb them. 



" The larch were planted at 1 5 feet apart, and the 

 ground filled up with Scots pine to the average dis- 

 tance of from 3J to 4 feet over all. 



"A portion of the plantation was planted in 1867, 

 another portion in 1868, and the remainder we intend 

 planting this autumn. The operations in each year 

 were begun about the middle of October, and con- 

 tinued without many stoppages by the weather until 

 about the end of April in the following year. I find, 

 however, that for high-hill planting, the months of 

 autumn are much preferable to any other, and I con- 

 sequently endeavoured to get in as many plants as 

 possible in the months of October, November, and 

 December in each year. 



" The weather during the time of planting was, 

 generally speaking, very open and favourable. No 

 frosts of any consequence were experienced ; but 

 sometimes, especially in the spring of 1868, we had 

 very heavy falls of rain, which, however, did not 

 interfere much with the planting, the land being 

 mostly dry, with a firm herbage in many places. 

 Indeed, as a whole, a more favourable time for plant- 

 ing moorland I have seldom experienced. 



" Cost of Formation of Plantation. A small portion 

 of the ground is still to plant, but as it is intended to 

 do this this autumn, the following statement embraces 

 the expense estimated for the finishing of the whole 

 plantation : 



