NOTES ON KERRY WOODS, ILLUSTRATING 

 METHODS OF COLLECTING AND 

 UTILISING INFORMATION FOR A 

 FOREST SURVEY. 



BY R. L. ROBINSON. 



I. INTRODUCTION. 



The investigations described in the following pages were, pri- 

 marily, undertaken with the object of obtaining some accurate 

 figures relating to the growth of timber in one of the more hilly 

 districts of Wales. Later, when it was found that the results were 

 of some value for the purpose, the scope of the work was extended 

 to comprise a small survey of adjacent hill land in order to 

 estimate its suitability for forestry purposes, and to settle the lines 

 on which a forestry survey on a large scale should proceed. 



The woods described lie chiefly on the Brynllywarch Estate on 

 the boundaries of Radnor, Montgomery and Salop. The total area 

 of the estate is about 7,000 acres, of which approximately 2,000 

 acres are wooded. 



In beginning the work a preliminary inspection was first made 

 of all the woods, and their general characteristics noted. Those 

 plantations most .likely to yield useful information were then gone 

 over in detail, sample plots were laid out and measured, and soil 

 samples submitted to mechanical and chemical analysis. The 

 information collected was then critically examined, and was made 

 to form the basis for the survey and valuation for forestry 

 purposes of similar adjacent hill land. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



The key to the local topography is Kerry Hill, which runs as a 

 long ridge in an E.N.E. and W.S.W. direction at an elevation of 

 from 1490 1570 feet. Kerr.y Hill is part of a long spur which 

 runs out from the high land lying on the borders of Cardigan, 

 Radnor and Montgomery to the west. 



The nearest point on the western sea-coast is about 35 miles 

 distant. The intervening country is mountainous, the culminating 

 point being Plynlimon Fawr (2,468 feet), but on the average the 

 highest land rises to about 1,750 feet. From the top of Kerry 



