RETORT ON THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PLANTATIONS. 2G0 



The lower branches are first checked, which in turn diminishes 

 the enlargement in the lower part of the tree, while the upper 

 part is rapidly expanding itself. Hence, in about twenty years 

 such trees will girth nearly as much at the middle as they do 

 near to the root. Another, and not the least, advantage of this 

 system is that trees thus treated remain healthy, and grow 

 rapidly at an age beyond that at which, under other treatment, 

 they languish and decay. 



Sixth, Thinning pine and fir plantations which have been 

 neglected till two-thirds of the height of the trees have been de- 

 prived of vital branches, with a view to improve and enhance the 

 value of the permanent crop, appears a fruitless work. As it is 

 very evident that thinning in such cases does not promote the 

 growth of the remaining crop, but the reverse, yet, under good 

 forestry, such plantations may be improved in other respects by 

 removing small worthless trees, which exclude sun and air from 

 the plantation ;* also by thinning out worthless rubbish (not in a 

 growing condition) herbage is thereby encouraged to grow, which 

 may be turned to advantage for grazing, and a neatness and 

 uniformity is thereby imparted to the plantation. 



Seventh, In thinning hardwood plantations which have pre- 

 viously stood so close together as to injure the side branches, 

 great attention should be paid to the soil and exposure before 

 commencing to thin. An instance illustrative of this came 

 under the writer's observation a few years ago in the county of 

 Sussex (famed for its oak). The oaks of which the plantation 

 was composed stood unthinned till fourteen years' growth, at 

 which age the trees stood about 4 feet apart. Thinning was per- 

 formed, and the trees left upon the ground 8 to 9 feet apart. At 

 the time the writer saw it he concluded, from the size of the trees, 

 that the plantation was from fifteen to eighteen years planted ; but 

 the appearance of the trees in other respects were indicative of 

 greater age. In order to satisfy himself, he cut one of the trees 

 down, and on counting the rings he found the age thirty-three 

 years. The annual growths indicated by the rings showed the 

 tree to have made as much wood in one year previous to thin- 

 ning as it did during eight years afterwards. A small portion of 

 the same plantation, left for some reason unthinned, was in a 

 state of rapid growth ; but, of course, the trees were tall, slender, 

 and unlikely to attain valuable dimensions. The situation was 

 exposed, facing the south-west, and the soil a stiff cold clay, 

 resting upon sandstone rock. 



The best season of the year for examining or marking a hard- 

 wood plantation is in September. At that season trees that are 



* In some cases it is as absolutely necessary to preserve shade and moisture 

 to pine plantations as it is in others to admit air and light, all depending upon 

 the nature of the soil and age of the trees. 



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