286 TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORTHERN 



cost, and at the same time very materially add to the growth of the 

 trees. 



In Europe they make use of the first thinnings of their forests for 

 rustic fences, sheep hurdles, and in several other ways that they would 

 not be used in this country. They have been trained to believe that 

 "they must plant thick, and thin quick." Our farmers would be loth 

 to cut down their fine, thrifty saplings before they were of much value 

 and might leave them too long, and thereby injure the plantation. 



It seems to me that American ingenuity will be brought to bear on 

 tree-planting in this country in such a way as to save much of the labor 

 required for performing the same operation in Europe. They contend 

 that in bleak and exposed sites where the lands are not protected by 

 growing timber or surrounding hills, they must plant very close for pro- 

 tection, and some of their most experienced planters who recommend 

 from three thousand to three thousand five hundred trees as " about the 

 right number to plant on an acre," say, " If the exposure is rough and 

 bare, five thousand plants are sometimes judiciously used to an acre." 

 In this country, aside from the advantage we have in being accustomed 

 to use horses to work amongst our trees, we have a plantation, never 

 thought of in that country, for if we plant on exposed land, instead of 

 using a double quantity of trees, we can plant our trees at such a dis- 

 tance apart as they can be allowed to stand till they have a market 

 value, giving the protection required by alternating corn hills and 

 trees. 



Supposing we wish to plant on an exposed piece of land, we want to 

 protect the trees by shading the ground, and at the same time we find 

 that an extra quantity of trees adds very much to the cost of the plan- 

 tation. In that case why not plant six by six feet and alternate with 

 corn? Your strip of land is only eight rods wide, and it will not be a very 

 costly job to carry the corn that distance. The corn stalks should stand 

 through the winter, of course, only they might be topped off if thought 

 best. 



Another method might be adopted. Supposing our farmer has 

 not the time and means to spare to plant the whole of this sixteen 

 acres in one season, or has not the land ready for more than a part of 

 it, he can plant his rows four feet apart and his trees one foot apart, 

 only covering one-fourth part of the land, and let them stand there two 

 years. They would then be in fine condition to plant the remainder, 

 would be strong enough to grow without the protection required for 

 smaller trees, and would be a more economical plan than though he 

 planted all at first. 



PLANTING THE FOREST. 



The practical tree-planter would mark off the land at the distances 

 designed to plant the trees, and plant with the spade, while the farmer 

 would be very likely to check off his land and then plow furrows one 

 way, with his one-horse plow, and plant at the intersections. In either 



