CHAP. CV.

CORYLA'C EiE. QUE'RCUS.

1805

taproot gives the plant new vigour, and enables it, after a few years, to exceedin growth the native tree. And, 3dly, That large oak trees, whether nativeor transplanted, do, long before they become fit for naval purposes (I maysay before they are proper for carpenter’s uses), lose their taproots altogether.In short, I would contend that all small oak trees have taproots, and all largeoaks have no taproots. I must, of course, be understood to speak in generalterms.” (Bath Soc. Papers, vol. xv. p. 51.)

Sowing the Acorns where the Plants are finally to remain. Several writersrecommend sowing acorns broadcast, and along with them hazel nuts, haws,&c., and allowing the whole to grow up together. The undergrowths, inthis case, shelter the young oaks during the requisite period; after which theycease to increase in height, and are by degrees gradually choked and destroyedby the shade of the oaks. This, however, is merely growing oaks amongweeds of a larger and more permanent kind, and cannot be recommended as ascientific mode of raising oak woods, or woods of any other kind; though itmay be advisable to resort to it under circumstances where plantations of anykind are better than none, and where there may be capital enough for pro-curing the seeds, and committing them to the soil, though not enough for doingso in a proper manner. This mode was also recommended by Sir UvedalePrice, because, if no more oaks were sown than can stand on the ground asfull-grown trees, no thinning or future care of the plantation will ever be re-quired by the planter. With a view to picturesque effect, such a mode isjudicious; but it is not so when either rapid growth or profit is the mainobject.

Nichols, writing in 1793, says he finds by experience that bushes of whiteand black thorns, holly, and brambles, are the best nurses and protectors ofyoung timber trees, especially oaks, lie, therefore, invented a dibble, whichwill be found described in the Encyclopedia of Arboriculture, in the chapteron implements for dibbling acorns and other seeds into the heart of bushes,and among underwood. He planted many acorns with this instrument, hesays, with the greatest success; and he strongly recommends this mode ashotter than any other for raising oak woods in the New Forest. (Methods, &c.,p. 04.)

Marshall gives directions for raising oak woods; “ oak,” as hejustly observes,“ being the only tree admissible in a wood, because no other tree will allowcopse to grow under it on land sufficiently sound and sufficiently level tobe cultivated conveniently with the common plough.” (Planting and Rur.Or., 2d ed., p. 128.) He prepares the ground by a naked or a turnip fallow,as for wheat. At the proper season, he sows over the whole surface of thefuture wood with corn or pulse broadcast, but rather thinner than usual. Theacorns he sows in drills across the lands, with intervening drills of temporarytrees and shrubs, to be removed as they advance in size, so as ultimately toleave the oak trees 33 ft. apart every way. The details of this mode, beingapplicable to the chestnut and other trees, as well as the oak, will be given inthe Encyclopcedia of Arboriculture.

To raise a grove of oaks, Marshall proposes to sow drills of acorns alter-nately with ash keys, treating the plants produced by the latter as under-growths, till the oaks have attained a sufficient size, when the ash trees are tobe grubbed up.

Billingtons opinion on this subject is decidedly in favour of using plantsrather than acorns. He says, the raising of oak woods from sowing theacorn in the place it is to remain till the tree comes to matmity has beena favourite theory with speculative men for ages. The plan has been triedupon an extensive scale in the Forest of Dean, and in the New Forest in Hamp-shire, and in some other smaller forests belonging to government in differentparts of the kingdom. As the experiment was made upon an extensive scalein these two principal forests, and was found impracticable, it may be useful tothose persons who still think that the oak will make a tree sooner or better frontthe acorn than from a transplanted plant, to point out the reasons of the failure