60 FORESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 
the old pit banks that will grow trees, as the slag and slate 
must weather for a long time before a suitable soil is formed. 
This soil is so poor that it can scarcely ever be turned to 
agricultural use; yet it can be clothed with sound planta- 
tions of certain species of trees. The planting of these 
hideous mounds, which are an eyesore to the people, will 
be made compulsory after the war, if the principle is carried 
out that all waste land shall be made productive. An 
additional reason for such afforestation is the salutary effect 
of the experimental plantations on the moral health of the 
children and of their parents; and any measure that in- 
creases the joy of living in dreary neighbourhoods must be 
welcomed in the future. 
The pit banks are of three kinds. Those consisting of 
furnace slag need not be considered, as this material is of 
some money value, and is gradually removed for railway 
ballast. Coal waste or carbonaceous shale, accumulated in 
mounds, generally takes fire and in some cases burns for 
years, giving as a final result a soil of red and friable ash, 
which supports tree growth fairly well. The third kind of 
pit bank made up of clunch or shale is not a promising 
ground for trees, but certain species will succeed on it. 
Planting of pit mounds and similar waste ground has 
been done on the Continent, but little has been attempted 
in England, though one colliery is reported (2) to have 
drawn for some years pit props from its own spoil heaps. 
Walsall Town Council planted one pit bank at its own 
expense in 1886, which is now known as Reed’s Wood 
Park. Mr. Martineau had it valued when it was 16 
years old, and it worked out at £17 per acre as it stood. 
The belts of timber that are now visible there show what 
valuable tree growth can be obtained. The Midland Re- 
afforesting Association, however, had to contend with 
much apathy in the beginning, and could only secure very 
small areas, which have been planted on various terms. 
Some plantations have been formed for the landowner by 
the Association at a contract price for planting, fencing, 
and replacing dead trees for a period of some years. The 
