Improvement of PFaste Lands. 
329 
were planted about 3 feet apart, over 19,300,000 plants must 
have been put in, of which about 15,000,000 were Scotch fir, 
3,400,000 larch, and 900,000 oak, ash, elm, sycamore, spruce, &c. 
The average cost of planting was about 3/. 3s. per acre, viz. : — 
£. s. d. 
Fencing 13 0 
Draiaing 0 4 0 
Plants (4,840) 150 
Planting Oil 0 
£3 3 0 
The low cost of planting is to be accounted for, in the first 
place, by the plantations having been made in large masses. In 
the next place, the Scotch fir and larch plants put in were very 
young, — the larch being chiefly 1 year seedlings, 1 year trans- 
planted, and the Scotch fir 2 years seedlings, 1 year transplanted, 
which cost from 3s. 6d. to 5s. per 1000 ; and the cost of plant- 
ing such young trees being much less than if they had been a 
year or two older, inasmuch as no pits were required. They 
were planted by making a deep slit in the shape of a T, into 
which the plant was inserted, and then the ground was pressed 
down by the planter's feet. The workmen chopped the heather 
with their spades around the spots where the plants were put in ; 
thus giving the plants an opportunity of getting the lead of their 
next neighbours, while they were sheltered by that left growing 
between them. Where vegetation is very rank it is always ne- 
cessary to plant larger trees. 
The common spade was the tool used for planting ; the work- 
men generally preferring spades well worn down to new ones. 
The men had all small canvas bags, about 16 inches long and 
9 inches deep, tied round their waists to keep the plants in (say 
from 30 to 50 at a time, according to size), and the planter, after 
making the slit aforesaid with the right hand, bent down the 
spade-handle towards the ground, thereby opening the slit, and 
Avith his left hand he took a plant out of his bag and inserted it 
into the slit, and then completed the operation by pressing 
it gently with his feet. 
The planting was always done by men, but a few boys were 
employed in carrying the plants from where the carts left them 
and serving them to the men as their bags got empty. The 
men were in line, 3 to 4 yards apart, that space enabling them 
to work freely, and one of the best men was selected for each 
end of the beat. 
The hardwood trees were planted in pits, the opening of which 
cost about Is. per 100, and, in filling in, the best of the earth 
VOL. IV. — s. s. Z 
