256 REPORT ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS. 



is owing partly to the powerful tendency of a rapid growth both 

 in respect to root, trunk, and branch, the trees not having room 

 to spread their branches, and roots are forced to a rapid upward 

 growth, thus producing length without thickness in proportion. 

 Thinning in such cases retards the growth without effecting the 

 desired object of changing its direction, except to a limited 

 extent. 



Thirdly, The proceeds arising from the first thinnings ought 

 not to be an inducement to prolong the period of doing the work, 

 seeing that the extra expense entailed in the performance of the 

 work more than absorbs the profit ; while the trees are, by such 

 means, so far injured in their growth as to be ever afterwards a 

 second-rate crop. It cannot be too strongly recommended to thin 

 the first time with only one object in view, that of benefiting the 

 future crop. 



Fourthly, Although the operations of thinning were performed 

 rather before than after the usual time for doing such work, yet 

 the mixing system has, in this instance, proved a considerable 

 failure, demonstrating very clearly that a system of general 

 mixing of trees is always attended with less success than that of 

 judicious grouping whenever the management requisite for each 

 is strictly attended to. 



On examination of the plantation previous to thinning it, the 

 following were about the general proportions and distribution of 

 the trees upon the ground per acre : — 



Hai dwoods of sorts, . . . 500 



Larch, . . . . .1000 



Spruce, ..... 700 



Scots pines, . . . . 800 



3000 



The work of first thinning was performed in September 1858, 

 beginning the operations by marking all the live trees to be 

 taken out, and giving instructions to the workmen to cut all de- 

 cayed ones, which saved the labour of marking. The cutting- 

 was performed by eight men and a boy. The foreman in direct 

 charge of the work wrought also as one of the men, being chiefly 

 engaged marking immediately before them, or pruning close be- 

 hind them. In consequence of the smallness of the trees, and 

 their closeness together, considerable difficulty was experienced 

 in using the axes. Hand hills, therefore, were used instead, — 

 instruments which, when properly made, and in the hands of 

 experienced workmen, are much superior to axes for thinning- 

 small wood. 



To prevent any misconception in reference to the hand bill, I 

 may mention that it is not the instrument purchased from iron- 



