60 FOEESTS, 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 Eeed'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 



