356 



SYLVA AMERICANA. 



manuring, and keeping clean of weeds or surface culture for a 

 limited period after planting. 



The proper distances at which young forest trees should be 

 planted on their timber sites depends on the natural habits of 

 growth of the different species, the nature and preparation of the 

 soil, and the size of the plants to be planted. 



The larch, spruce, and pine require less space than the oak, 

 chesnut, elm, he. The nature of the soil will determine the pe- 

 culiar species of trees which should predominate in the planta- 

 tion, and point out the distances at which they should be placed. 

 If the soil 'is thin and of a light texture, the fir tribe should oc- 

 cupy the largest proportion, if not the whole space of land ; if 

 clayey, the oak, elm, ash, he, should be the principal trees in 

 the design ; and, if a deep sandy soil, or if the soil be calcareous, 

 elevated land, the beech ought to have the preference all with 

 the view to the ultimate produce of timber. The following table 

 may be useful for readily pointing out the number of trees requir- 

 ed for a statute acre of land when planted at any undermention- 

 ed distances : 



Number of Plants. 



435 

 360 

 302 

 257 

 222 

 193 

 170 

 150 

 134 

 122 

 108 

 69 

 49 



In profitable forest-tree planting, the nearest distance at which 

 young trees should be planted on their timber sites, is a yard, or 

 three feet, and the widest space five feet ; the medium distance 

 of four feet plant from plant is, or ought to be, that most generally 

 adopted. Seedlings of three years' growth, or plants which have 

 remained two years in the seed bed and one year in transplanted 



