79

OF’FOREST-TREES.

cerning tHe raising of this tree from the Acorn: it will also endure the chap.laying, but never to advantage of bulk or stature It is in the meantime the propagation of these large spreading Oaks, which is especiallyrecommended for the excellency of the timber, and that his Majesty’s-forests were well and plentifully stored with them, because they require,room and space to amplify and expand themselves, and should therefore

they are suffered to grow old and strong, they frequently grow again, especially if rainfalls soon after, perfect their seed in a short time, and thereby poison the soil of the wholeplantation.

The second year of their growth, in extensive plantations, the double-shelving and com-mon plough may be made use of, as before directed, to cultivate and keep the groundclean ; and this culture should be attended to until the plants are become so large that itwill not be in the power of the weeds to injure them.. As plantations of Oaks from theacorn are rather,precarious, it will be right to form a small seminary in the same field, torepair the intervals that may have miscarried. And here it may be necefsary to observe,that this seminary should be taken from the best part of the field, and in the warmestsituation, in order that the young plants may have good roots, without which they would .make but an indifferent progrefs when planted out. .

Having thus given directions for the raising of woods, both by young sets and from acorns,

I now proceed to .their future management, which must be the same in both. And first,the rows being four feet asunder, and the plants two feet distant in the rows, they maystand in this manner for. twelve or fourteen years, when every second plant may be takenout and sold for hoops or small poles. . Now, though I say in twelve or fourteen years theplants will be of use for these purposes, yet this is, only a. general rule, as the differentgoodnefs of the land will make a great variation, in the growth of the plants; and conse-quently, if the trees take to growing well, they will want thinning sooner. This businefstherefore, should be left to the discretion of the person intrusted with the care of theplantation..

After every second plant is taken away, let the roots be grubbed up, not only becausethey will pay for their grubbing as fire-wood, but that there may be more room given forthe standing plants freely to extend their roots.

The plants being now four feet asunder each way, they will require no mor6 thinningfor,seven or eight years, when the healthiest and best thriving trees must be marked tostand for timber, and the others cut down for poles, and their roots left to produce futureunder-wood.

In this manner the rows filled with plants from the nursery must be managed, in which ,case we can speak with precision with regard to thinning. The same husbandry must beapplied to the rows under cultivation from the seed; but the planter in. this last methodmust be left to form his.own ideas in respect to thinning, as no human knowledge can de-termine, before hand, how thick the seedling plants will appear in the rows. In rockyand mountainous soils, the plants or acorns must be put down irregularly by the spade,and the planter must be directed in this operation by the particular circumstances of the -soil and situation.