ON PLANTING EXPOSED OR BARREN GROUND. 179 
whins rooted, or grubbed up four or six inches under the sur- 
face, consumed, or cleared off the ground ; the cost of these 
operations varies much, according to the cover and quality of 
the ground. Where the cover is close, it generally ranges 
from 30s. to 50s. per acre for grubbing, etc. 
Trenching is generally much more expensive, but the ground 
is at once prepared and deeply softened for the insertion of 
the plants, and the whins are generally longer in overtaking 
and interfering with their growth ; in all such cases the plant- 
ing, whether by pit-planting after grubbing, or notching after 
trenching, should be with plants of the largest size that are 
likely to grow freely, and they should be inserted closely, in 
order to form a cover, and subdue the native vegetation, which 
is sure in such places to rise with vigour from seed, if not 
from roots in the ground. The larch and the Scotch pine are 
generally the first to form a close cover in such places; and 
where these sorts are not intended to form the ultimate crop, 
their services are generally useful in subduing the vegetation 
—-particularly the larch,—although it should be cut out at an 
early period to make way for other sorts. Two years’ trans- 
planted larches from two years’ seedlings are usually about 
thirty-six inches high, and I have never seen larches of 
a greater age (that is, four years old) and larger size grow 
.better when inserted into plantations; nor Scotch pine be- 
yond that age (four years) when used in the north of Scot- 
land. 
On planting exposed and barren ground at a great altitude.— 
Failures very often occur in establishing plantations in such 
situations. The difficulty is commonly felt in getting a com- 
mencement, or a shelter established to form a screen to future 
accessions. In all such places, where shelter is required for 
residences, garden, or agricultural grounds, the soil should be 
well drained and trenched, so that every advantage may be 
afforded to the successful growth of the trees ; indeed, in some 
cases, in order to get the trees to make an early and vigorous 
start, screen fences should be employed, composed of the 
thinnings of Scotch fir plantations, turf dykes, or the like. 
