260 EEPOET ON THE GENEEAL MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS. 



greater part of it, which, with the former portions thinned, included 

 nearly the whole of the plantation, a few spots only remaining to 

 he thinned. A circumstance of the highest importance, and worthy 

 of special attention, was the order and system which had "been 

 laid down and adopted in the process of thinning. It has just 

 been stated that at four different periods thinning was performed 

 upon this plantation nearly all of the same age, yet differing at 

 the age of being thinned to over one-half. The principles upon 

 which this system was based, and the results to which it has led, 

 will appear in the sequel. 



The instructions were to thin first the most advanced parts 

 upon the best and most sheltered ground, allowing the trees the 

 greatest amount of space, then the next most advanced and 

 favoured parts, and so on in succession, leaving the most exposed 

 parts, and that upon the poorest of the soil, till the last, with the 

 trees closer together upon it. 



To a person partially acquainted with the growing of planta- 

 tions this system may appear to be a right and proper one, 

 but its evil effects need only be pointed out to convince any 

 ordinary mind that it is a false one. To leave the trees closer 

 together upon the poor soil than upon the rich, was to give the 

 former a heavier crop to bear than the latter, while, as is well 

 known, it is less capable of doing so. To leave the trees thicker 

 upon the exposed parts was in effect to put to the front and 

 hottest of the battle the undisciplined raw recruit instead of 

 the tried veteran of many campaigns ; because trees, if allowed 

 to grow close together, are just in proportion to their closeness 

 tall and slight, drawn up with comparatively few branches, and 

 such branches small, slender, and weakly. The trees now stand- 

 ing in this plantation may be seen as above described, many of 

 them 25 feet in height, and yet not quite 3 inches diameter 

 at the ground, with branches not quite 3 feet in length. Of 

 all sorts of trees these are least fitted to stand the gale, and 

 least qualified to protect and shelter other trees, or afford shelter 

 for stock, one of the principal objects for which they had been 

 planted. 



The proper method of thinning in this case would evidently 

 have been to thin from one end to the other at nearly one time, 

 at the age of eight or nine years, leaving the trees upon the ground 

 at 7 to 8 feet apart. By this means the trees on the exposed 

 parts would have had room to furnish themselves with root and 

 branch, their only defence against the storm and tempest. Of 

 course, they would not be so tall as their more favoured neigh- 

 bours of the same age; but this is just so far to their advantage, 

 seeing they would be more proportionably grown, having a girth 

 proportioned to their height, and a spread of branches equal to 

 the functions they have to perform. 



