260 
Plantations  Competition,  1909. 
We  made  inquiries  in  every  case  as  to  the  original  state  of  the 
land,  and  in  the  twenty-seven  entries  we  were  informed  the 
trees  had  been  planted  on  arable  land  in  fifteen  cases,  in  four 
the  land  had  been  grass,  and  in  the  remaining  eight  the  land 
had  been  either  old  woodland  or  scrub.  We  did  not  find,  as  a 
whole,  that  there  had  been  any  benefit  accruing  from  any 
particular  previous  crop,  although  it  was  noticeable  in  two 
cases  that  very  fine  plantations  were  on  land  formerly  used  as 
a rabbit  warren. 
On  the  whole,  the  effect  of  good  soil  is  by  no  means  as 
striking  as  would  be  imagined,  and  our  observations  led  us  to 
the  conclusion  that  good  management  and  shelter  are  equally 
as  important  factors  for  success  as  good  soil,  and  that  where 
land  adjoins  fair  roads  there  is  every  encouragement  for  the 
landowner,  who  is  prepared  to  take  trouble  and  thought  with 
his  woodlands,  to  grow  timber  upon  the  oolitic  limestone  up  to 
the  high  altitude  of  900  ft.,  and  even  higher. 
Altitudes  and  Effect. — The  altitudes  varied  between  100  ft. 
in  Class  26,  to  919  ft.  in  Class  25.  The  latter  is  the 
highest  altitude  of  the  plantation  entered  on  the  Sudeley  Castle 
estate,  and  the  fact  that  this  entry  was  awarded  the  first  prize 
in  its  class  is  some  evidence  of  the  good  result  that  can  be 
achieved  by  excellent  management  and  natural  shelter  upon 
oolitic  limestone  on  the  higher  ridges  of  the  Cotswold  Hills. 
Of  the  whole  of  the  entries  the  best  plantation  is  that  of 
Mr.  W.  T.  Barneby,  on  the  Saltmarshe  Castle  estate  (Class  22), 
and  this  is  growing  at  an  altitude  of  over  750  ft.,  on  a soil 
varying  from  a clay  to  a light  loam,  with  a subsoil  varying 
between  a clay  and  a sandstone.  The  plantation,  which 
extends  to  100  acres,  was  formed  on  an  area  covered  with 
gorse  and  scrub,  from  which  the  timber  had  been  felled  many 
years  previously.  It  is  said  that  it  was  cut  by  a former  Bishop 
of  Hereford,  to  whom  this  land,  at  that  time  a deer-park,  was 
granted  by  Queen  Elizabeth.  The  land,  before  the  present 
plantation  was  made,  was  let  at  4s.  an  acre,  and  is  on  an 
exposed  plateau  with  no  natural  shelter.  Another  example  of 
a successful  effort  to  raise  a plantation  at  a high  altitude  in  a 
wind-swept  situation  was  that  of  Mr.  R.  F.  Stratton,  of 
Puesdown  (Class  25),  at  an  elevation  of  880  ft.  (where  the 
conifers  might  now  be  interlined  with  beech  and  sycamore) ; 
that  of  General  Davies,  of  Elmley  Castle  (Class  24),  at 
800  ft.  upon  the  inferior  oolite,  should  also  not  be  overlooked. 
We  noticed  in  more  than  one  case  that  the  owner  in  plant- 
ing had  taken  advantage  of  a previous  shelter-belt,  and  the 
plantation  had  benefited  thereby.  It  is  almost  certain  that 
where  owners  can  utilise  such  shelter-belts  or  the  lay  of  the 
land  as  a protection  against  severe  gales,  and  also  can  obtain  a 
