246 EEPOET ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS. 



addition to which four other varieties were planted, of which only 

 a few specimens remain. Such a great variety naturally sug- 

 gests the inquiry, "Why plant so many sorts ? The answer is, that 

 at the time of planting it was not known which class of trees 

 would succeed best ; and, therefore, a great variety was planted, 

 with the view of thinning out those that did not succeed — ar prac- 

 tice which, though fast becoming obsolete, is still adhered to by 

 some planters. The plantation, at the time the writer became 

 acquainted with it, had been several times thinned. The stools 

 upon the ground indicated that it had been planted at distances 

 from 3| to 4 feet apart, the hardwoods at 9 feet to 12 feet apart, 

 and filled in with pine and firs to the former distances. 



The first thinning was performed when between twelve and 

 fifteen years planted, at which age, owing to the sheltered and 

 otherwise favourable situation, the trees were considerably too 

 much drawn up — an evil, probably little thought of at the time, 

 but the effects of which can never be counteracted. 



The plantation, in consequence of its conspicuous situation, 

 and of its importance in other respects, always received its due 

 mead of attention in the way of thinning, pruning, and protec- 

 tion from animals. It was always thinned when thought desirable, 

 sometimes once in two years, at others not so often. There are 

 no blank spots in the plantation up to the present time, which 

 indicates, to a certain extent, that the soil is adapted for the 

 growth of most forest trees. In one part 35 yards broad, where 

 the soil is wet, and the trees considerably exposed to north-west 

 winds, the pines and firs have been occasionally blown down. In 

 this part the hardwoods are inferior to those in the rest of the 

 plantation. Decayed trees have been of rare occurrence ; during a 

 period of fourteen years, the writer is quite certain that he has 

 not observed above that number throughout the whole extent of 

 the plantation, though at an early stage of their growth the larches 

 died on a few soft mossy spots, and thus gave a double advantage 

 to the spruces, many of which have become beautiful specimens. 



In the operation of thinning, the work has always been per- 

 formed with axes, and in doing so, great attention has always 

 been paid to keep the stools low, generally quite level with the 

 surface of the ground, — a system which, in thinning young plan- 

 tations, is highly commendable for neatness, and future comfort 

 in travelling through the plantations and clearing the wood. By 

 this means, also, coppice- wood is almost entirely prevented from 

 springing up after the hardwoods are cut, which in this case was 

 considered desirable. In thinning out the spruces at an early 

 age some were cut over at from 3 to 4 feet above the ground, 

 which caused them to assume the habit of beautiful shrubs, and 

 form a cover for game which cannot well be surpassed, though 

 the latter object was not here contemplated. 



