GKOWING PLANTATIONS. 201 



first, if those drains are not kept in a clean running 

 state, in order to prevent stagnant water lodging in 

 them, they will ultimately be of very little benefit 

 to the rearing of healthy larch timber. 



SECTION III. HOW TO FIND THE VALUE OF GROWING 



PLANTATIONS, AND OF FULL-GROWN TIMBER TREES. 



The valuing of plantations is a point in forestry 

 which, to be done properly and justly, requires 

 the exercise of the judgment of a man who has 

 had long practical experience in the matter. He 

 who gives himself out as a valuator of plantations, 

 in the settlements and divisions of landed pro- 

 perty, must be possessed of an accurate knowledge 

 of the prospective value of all the plantations that 

 can possibly come under his notice, under the age 

 of full-grown timber. He must have an intimate 

 knowledge of the habits of growth of the different 

 species of forest-trees, and of the influence of soil 

 and local cUmate on their periocHcal increase of 

 timber ; these properties being absolutely necessary 

 in the valuing of young plantations, wliile they are 

 under the age of full-grown timber trees : and seeing 

 that such properties are only attainable by a pretty 

 long course of experience as a practical forester, I 

 shall here state only the general method of going 

 to work in valuing plantations. 



In taking the present transferable value of plan- 



