no FORESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 



part of which is mixed with dark humus, passing at the surface 

 into a very thin layer of acid dry peat. In most heaths a hard 

 ' pan ' forms at some distance below the surface of the soil. 



In north-east Yorkshire there are heaths at a high 

 elevation, between 800 and 1250 feet, which are developed 

 on a few inches of humous sand, covered by two or three 

 inches of sandy peat, and passing down into sand. These 

 heaths, inasmuch as the dominant vegetation is heather, are 

 popularly called moors, and are used for preserving grouse ; 

 but they differ from the heather moors of the Pennines and 

 of the Dublin Mountains, which rest on pure peat of a 

 considerable depth. 



Similarly in the central and eastern Highlands of 

 Scotland, namely, in the basins of the Tay, Dee, and Spey, 

 there are immense heaths, between 500 and 2000 feet 

 elevation, which are colloquially termed moors and are used 

 for grouse shooting. These heaths are somewhat inter- 

 mediate in character, as the heather grows in a greater 

 depth of surface peat, four to eight inches, than occurs in 

 the English heaths, but, like the latter, they are developed 

 on sandy or gravelly soil, in which acid peaty humus has 

 accumulated. At a depth of one to two feet there is 

 often a layer of moor-pan. 



Heaths are much drier than heather moors, and for 

 purposes of afforestation must be considered quite distinct 

 from the latter. Extensive wild and cultivated forests of 

 Scots pine occur on the heaths of the Scottish Highlands ; 

 and this species, if unchecked by man, would speedily 

 colonise the heaths of the south of England. Heaths are 

 thus very suitable for plantations of conifers, especially 

 of pine and larch, the only hindrance being exposure to the 

 wind where the land is at a considerable altitude and not 

 protected by surrounding high mountains. Heather moors 

 are not so favourable for afforestation on account of the 

 depth and wetness of the peat, on which trees will rarely 

 grow big enough to yield commercial timber, unless the 

 situation is sheltered and the peat is drained. 



Above the zone of heather moor, the peat usually 



