AS APPLICABLE IX PKACTICAL FORESTRY. 203 



desirous of stating reasons, and giving my experience of the 

 matter. First, an active man with a proper hand-bill (not 

 hedge-bill), which is the only proper implement I know of for 

 such work, will thin an acre in two days, and this represents 

 six shillings per acre added to the original expenditure of form- 

 ing the plantation, for until such time as actual income is 

 derived from the plantation, the whole expenditure must be 

 charged against it. The thinnings at this stage I put no money 

 value upon. They are mostly collected and carted away by the 

 tenantry and others ; but the cost and labour .of collecting and 

 clearing are so great, that no money is charged for them except 

 a small sum for such as are on the margin of the plantation, 

 and convenient to clear. The second reason for thinnino- at 

 this early period is, in order to give the remaining crop full 

 freedom and liberty to develop their lower side branches. It 

 is those branches situated upon the lower part of the stem of 

 tlie tree that supplies food and nourishment to the roots, and 

 unless they are preserved vital at this critical period of the 

 tree's existence, it very soon ceases to develop itself and make 

 wood. In fact, it ceases to grow to anything like satisfaction 

 at that very period when it should be making wood faster than 

 at any other period of its history. If only it could be kept in 

 mind that the loss of every lower lu'anch of a young tree is just 

 a corresponding loss of roots, and as the one suffers so does the 

 other, it would be a good and profitable thing for woodland 

 proprietors. 



To the preservation of the lower branches of the celebrated 

 larch forests of the Duke of Athole, more than anything else, 

 may be attributed their successful growth. The larch there 

 were plairted 6 feet apart, and that distance, admitting that all 

 the trees grew, allowed all the lower branches to grow 3 feet in 

 length all round ; but as many of them would no doubt decay, 

 and from accidents and other causes perish, many of the trees 

 would thereby produce their lower branches twice that length, 

 hence the unparalleled results of the growth of the larch in these 

 forests. 



Having witnessed so much injury inflicted upon young 

 plantations, and some entirely ruined, by the lower branches 

 being interfered with at a stage of growth too early, I would 

 recommend in the strongest possible terms, the special attention 

 of all who have the management of plantations to this particular 

 aspect of the subject. It is often asked what rule can be given, 

 and how it may be known when either individual trees or 

 plantations liave the exact and proper quantity of branches 

 upon them. The rule for this is, as far as any rule can be given, 

 to maintain a due proportion of girth to tlie height of the tree, 

 and these proportions are girth in inches to feet in height. For 



