32 The Farming of Westmorlaml. 
tain as many cubic feet of wood, worth fiom Is. to Is. 2d. pci- 
loot. In plantings, undue exposure to the west Avind and a wet 
soil must be carefully avoided. 
Within the last few years, however, larch-planting has been 
almost brought to a standstill on account of the very general 
prevalence of disease, which scarcely any plantations have en- 
tirely escaped, whilst many acres have sometimes died together. 
Many reasons and ingenious explanations have been volunteered, 
but this, like the potato-disease, remains somewhat of a mystery. 
Amongst the causes guessed at are — 1, atmospheric influence ; 
2, the aphis insect ; 3, severe spring frosts and cold wet summers 
stopping the flow of sap ; 4, weakened plants, forced by manure 
in the nurseries, and raised successively off the same land. Pos- 
sibly there is something in one or more of these causes co-operat- 
ing together, or v/ith hidden causes, but the fact remains, and is 
unfortunate. 
It is noteworthy that about Windermere, and the district west 
of Kendal, the disease is not nearly so strongly developed as in 
the district eastward. It is suspected that the subsoil has some 
hand in this. 
When a larch plantation has been felled off, it is found that a 
second planting with the same wood rarely answers. And the 
rule is to defer planting for two or three years. If larch be 
thought inappropriate, hard woods, ash and sycamore, are 
recommended, or, in favourable ground, a coppice may be 
formed. 
From the accumulation of decayed leaves, this ground, if well 
limed, will often make good pasture. 
Westmorland stands sadly in need of more plantations for 
shelter and ornament to the bleak and bare hill-sides, and to pro- 
vi<le timber for farm-buildings and general use, seeing that the 
onward march of improved agriculture tends to sweep away 
ordinary hedge-row timber ; when it is remembered how many 
thousands of acres of larch are annually required for railways and 
mines, the question assumes an almost national importance. 
Fine ancient timber trees are found about Lowther, Appleby, 
Levens, Dallam Tower, Rydal, tS:c., but there are no extensive 
forests as in some other counties. 
Improvements. 
Very material improvements in the productive powers of the 
county have been mnde within the last fifty years by the inclosure 
of commons. In 1797 Bishop Watson estimated that three- 
fourths of Westmorland was waste land. Thirty years ago 
surrounding commons closely approached the town of Kendal — 
