A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



forty-three years' growth ; Park's Plantation of I20 acres ; Jack Gap of 37 acres ; and Ormandy 

 Wood of 85 acres, all contain larch. 



The coppices are being gradually converted to woodland by allowing the oak saplings to the 

 number of about 4,000 to the acre to grow from the stools, the useless spray being periodically cut 

 or wrenched out until the saplings are well established. 



Beech and Douglas fir be^ng the only shade bearers of any value as a crop are used in under 

 planting to fill the gaps."' 



The official Agricultural Returns for 1895 give a total area of 41,906 acres of woodlands in 

 Lancashire, including 879 of plantations planted since I 881. The returns made on 5 June, 1905, 

 are advantageously subdivided into three classes, coppice, plantations, and other woods. By coppice 

 is meant woods such as oak, hazel, ash, alder, and birch, which are felled at periods varying from 

 fourteen to twenty-five years, and reproduce themselves naturally by stool shoots ; and by plantation 

 is signified land planted or replanted within the ten years ending 1905. Lancashire is returned as 

 having 17, 391 acres of coppice, 3,1 14 of plantations, and 23,958 of other woods, the total of 44,463 

 acres showing a gratifying increase during the decade.^ 



'" Infonnation supplied by Mr. H. Brccklebank. ""-' Jgr-k. Ret. 1905, p. 44. 



466 



