Remarks on the management, or rather, the mis-management of woods, plantations, and hedge-row timber

by J. West

A fourth error which is committed, is one upon which I have slightly touched already, and refers to the question of adaptation of the kind of tree planted, first, to the nature of the soil planted upon, and next, if the object of the planter be profit, to the local demand.

Most serious mistakes have been committed upon both these points, even by men whose writings have procured them a niche in the Temple of Fame. Under this head a few cases will now be referred to.

It is impossible, at this distance of time, to fix the exact amount of blame, or responsibility, which of right attaches itself to the name of Pontey, for instance, who planted an immense tract of land near Lincoln, belonging to that splendid charity, Christ’s Hospital: tradition, which, however, may do him injustice, accuses him of having contracted to plant with Larch and Oak, and having, on some pretence or other, substituted Scotch Fir.

Whatever was the precise amount of responsibility attaching to him, I know not; he might be following out the letter of his instructions, for ought that I can tell, but it is quite certain that, even with the then imperfect knowledge which was possessed of the value of larch, a very great mistake was committed, in planting nearly a thousand acres of land, which was well adapted both for oak and larch, with profitless rubbish like that which is now seen upon it. A work of that magnitude ought not to have been intrusted to any one who, either from mercenary motives, or from limited views, was capable of falling into such a gross error, as to the interests of his employers. It is no exaggeration to say, that if the Skellingthorpe Plantation had been planted, as it ought to have been, with oak and larch, together with a few spruce firs, and if Pontey had left suitable instructions with those who had to take care of it, after his superintendence had ceased, it would now have been, at the most moderate computation, fifteen hundred per cent. more valuable than it is!

If it were private property, I should not presume to add what I now feel myself at perfect liberty to do, with reference to its present condition, and the future prospect respecting it.

It is at present, almost universally, a Scotch Fir Plantation: these are of a most miserable size, compared with what they might have been, under good management, and they are withal very coarse. There may be seen amongst them, just Larches enough to perpetuate the folly of the original planter; and to excite, at his periodical sales, the keen regret of the present Steward, that he has not more of them to sell. There are also a few oaks, of such quality as fully to prove that they would have thriven well—had they been planted. Further: the Scotch firs are so thick, and they are feathered down so low, that the Plantation is not healthy. It is true that, under the present much improved management, an attempt is being made to remedy this evil, and it is quite clear, that the condition of the trees will gradually be bettered, but the misfortune is—and here I come to speak of the prospects of the Plantation—that they are not worth culture. I have no hesitation in stating this to be my deliberate opinion. The timber, if timber it can be called, is worth almost nothing now, and, in such a locality, I can see no probability of its ever realizing, so as to justify those in whose care it is placed, in continuing it as it is. The plain and obvious course of the managers of this fine estate, then, is to stub up the Scotch fir, and replant the land with oak and larch.

In further proof of the propriety of this opinion, I would remark that, in this locality, both oak and larch fetch very high prices, and there are probable grounds for expecting that they always will do so; while, if the present race of Scotch firs should stand as long again as they have already stood, they will make comparatively little.

It is not too much to say, that if this Plantation were the property of a private gentleman, the Scotch firs would be extirpated as speedily as possible, and a systematic plan, providing that a certain number of acres should be stubbed and re-planted every year, would at once be laid down; but public bodies are not so easily moved, and it is therefore to be feared, that, in this case, the public will not, for some time to come, derive that benefit from the property, which would certainly be the result of proper management.

The whole might be re-stocked with suitable kinds of trees, without any considerable outlay to the hospital, if arrangements were made with a party capable of carrying out some such comprehensive plan as the following; viz.: An agreement with a responsible person, carefully worded, providing that he should stub, or grub up, a stipulated number of acres at the commencement of a sort of lease, taking the stuff, either in part payment, or wholly, if it were sufficient: and that he should, on such terms as could be agreed upon, continue to grub up, and plant, a specified number of acres every succeeding year.

In twelve years, if the work were well done, there would be some return from the thinnings of the piece first planted; and the rate of return and profit, would, from that time, continue to increase every year, until an amount would be realized which would much more than equal the largest expectations of the Governors.