175 



hardy oak, the plane, and the Scotch elm, even 

 these will grow very slow, and be a long thue before 

 they come to perfection as timber trees. I would 

 recommend as the most profitable for the estate, that 

 this plantation be wholly filled up with oaks, and 

 converted into a natural oak coppice ; to effect this, 

 put in plants of oak at eight feet distant, plant from 

 plant, amongst the firs ; the plants to be strong 

 well rooted plants, not less than three years trans- 

 planted from the seed-bed, and then properly pitted 

 in the ground, and cut over close by the surface the 

 second spring after being put in ; the blanks annually 

 filled up with oaks ; a belt of firs, &c. may be left 

 round the outsides, say about thirty yards wide; 

 after the oak plants, either by cuttings or otherwise, 

 arrive at a height of from six to eight feet, the whole 

 of the firs in the interior of the plantation to be cut 

 out. In fifteen years after the whole has been filled 

 up with oak, the whole of the oaks may be cut over ; 

 this cutting may only bring about L.15 per acre for 

 wood and bark ; but it will be hastening the whole 

 forward for another more profitable cutting, which 

 will bring at least three times that sum per acre, at 

 the same age ; but I would advise the next cutting 

 to be at twenty years old, dividing it into four hags 

 or yearly cuttings, which should bring in at least 

 L.^OOO every hag or cutting, for time coming. It 

 may be advisable in some places of this plantation, 

 where the larch firs appear to be the most predomi- 

 nant, to allow them to come up to the age of fifteen 

 years with the oak, at which age it will be seen what 

 sort of trees they are likely to be ; and should it be 

 necessary to cut them at this age, the bark will be of 

 good quality, and will pay as a crop, though not near 

 so well as the oak. 



