WOODS AND PLANTATIONS. 353 



were a loam, and the higher portions a light gravelly soil resting on 

 rock. We planted the lower part with a mixture of oak, elm, and ash 

 at fifteen feet apart, and filled up with larch to five feet over all. The 

 middle parts were planted with oak and sycamore at sixteen feet apart, 

 and larch amongst them at four feet. The higher parts were planted 

 with Scots pine at about seven feet apart, with larch at three and a half 

 feet amongst the pines. 



The result of this plantation is successful. All the plants have grown 

 well, and promise to continue in a thriving state. 



In laying out any portion of ground with the view of planting, the 

 first thing is to ascertain the character of the soil and subsoil. In 

 many enclosures we find a diversity of soils. All the clay soils, clay 

 loams, and loams will grow the oak, ash, elm, and sycamore ; and if a 

 mixed plantation is desired, the hardwood should be put in at such 

 distances as will admit of them to stand as the permanent crop. 



Thus, presuming that oak, ash, elm, and sycamore were planted at 

 sixteen feet apart, and the ground filled up with larch between these at 

 four feet apart, the larch would afterwards come gradually out as thin- 

 nings when required, and in the course of time the hard-woods would 

 stand alone as the crop. 



All high-lying parts of an estate where the soils may be light, or 

 breadths of moorland with a poor sandy soil, should be planted with 

 coniferous trees alone. The best plan in cases of this kind is to plant 

 Scots pine at such distances that it will afterwards come to stand as 

 the permanent crop, filling up with larch amongst them, to act as nurses 

 to the pines, and come out as thinnings when necessary. 



In the formation recently of another large plantation on the estate of 

 Wass, the elevation ranged from seven hundred to nine hundred feet 

 above sea-level. We planted the lower portions to the extent of one-half 

 of the enclosure with Scots pine at twelve feet apart, and filled up with 

 larch to four feet over all. The higher portions were planted with Scots 

 pine at seven feet apart, and with larch amongst the pines to three and 

 a half feet apart. We also mixed numbers of pinaster amongst the 

 Scots pine on the higher grounds. This plantation is succeeding well, 

 there being not above one per cent of failures all over it. 



On very high-lying and exposed parts of estates where the soil is very 

 poor and thin, Scots pine alone should be planted ; but if it is thought 

 that the pine will not succeed well by itself, there should be mixed an 

 equal proportion of birch along with the pine. If the pine fail, the 

 birch will grow and make some shelter. 



A great want is felt in this country in getting trees to grow for 

 shelter along our coasts. There are many tRriving plantations along 



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