THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



37 



the full growth, then felled, and the ground replanted 

 as has been directed. 



The observant eye that looks into a congregation of 

 trees which have grown under Nature's care, or that 

 have escaped the havoc of the thinning and pruning per- 

 formances, cannot fail to discover the truth of the above 

 statements, and that the system is supported by the most 

 rigid adherence to established law. In these places 

 are seen the stems of trees, tall and straight, with- 

 out branch, knot, or excrescence of any kind, and the 

 bark smooth and slippery, witiiout any interruptions. 

 Wherever the sun and light are allowed to penetrate, the 

 branches of trees will seek it laterally as well as verti- 

 cally ; and the number of shoots will be proportioned to 

 the free access which is given to these necessary elements 

 of growth. The vegetation is thus directed to many 

 points; the tree becomes a bush, and fails to reach the 

 height of a timber provision : the stem is knotty and 

 rifty, and inferior in the hands of the workman ; and 

 the wider standing of the trees reduces the number on 

 an acre of ground. Close planting direcls the efforts of 

 vegetation to the vertical growth, which forms the tree 

 without any lopi)ing of branches, or cutting and thin- 

 ning. 



The seeds of trees may be sown by hand on the surface 

 of the ground intended to be planted, and a very large 

 quantity of the seeds on an acre. Tire seeds germinate 

 and strike roots into the soil, and better timber is pro- 

 duced than from nursery plants. It will be advanta- 

 geous that the grass on the surface be not consumed by 

 any animals for some years previous to the seeds being 

 sown, but allowed to fall and decay yearly, which will 

 afford a bed of vegetable earth for the germination of the 



seeds and attaching of the roots in the ground. The 

 young plants will grow in a close condition, as from the 

 inserted stems ; the thriving individuals will rise and 

 form the crop, and the inferior growth will dwindle 

 into underwood, and be altogether extirpated. The 

 quantity of seeds must be very ample; and when a failure 

 is observed in the tirst and second years, another sowing 

 must be done in a smaller quantity, and every means 

 used to obtain a full crop on the ground. All vermin 

 that eat tender shoots and gnaw the barks of trees must 

 not be present, and the fencing of the sown grounds 

 must be very secure. The collection of the seeds for 

 use will supersede the imrsery, and a very considerable 

 expense will be saved. Nature has shown the way, and 

 the results are superior to the mode that is now followed, 

 which employs much more time and expends a large 

 cost. The stem of the nursery being cut close by the 

 ground, sends forth a vigorous shoot, which grows far 

 more luxuriantly than the old stem, and this shows the 

 superiority of every growth from the position where the 

 vegetation is to be permanent, and the seed is more 

 vivacious than any stem. 



No advantage attends the mixing of different kinds of 

 trees in a plantation, as of firs with hard timbers in 

 various proportions to each other. The contrary is 

 evinced by there being seen a generic affection amongst 

 vegetables, which thrive best when associated with their 

 own congeners. Oak and elm trees on the lowest 

 grounds, the ash and beech on the first sloping declivi- 

 ties, and the larch and Scotch fir to occupy the higher 

 positions along with the most alpine situations that 

 occur. This assortment will adapt to all situations in 

 Britain. 



SCARCITY OF FORAGE IN FRANCE, 



TRANSLATED FllOM THE FRENCH. 



'• The Moniteur of the 17th September, tranquillizes the 

 public miud as to the cousequeuces of the scarcity of forage : 

 it says rightly that the crop of oats is not quite ao bad as we 

 feared, and that we shall find some resource in the aiiturarial 

 produce." In support of that opiniou the oflicial journal pub- 

 lishes a statement of the contract prices of the Minister of 

 War, in the different railitary divisions of hay, straw, and 

 oats, and he congratulates himself at the price not being so 

 high as we might perhaps have expected. 



The article of the Moniteur is thus worded : 



" The drought which has been so severe since last winter, 

 had considerably injured the crops of forage, and there was 

 reason to fear a real scarcity of the articles requisite for the 

 maintenance of horses and cattle. 



" Beneficial rains have fortunately come to calm their appre- 

 hensions. They have refreshed the vegetation of the meadows, 

 and improved the autumnal cultures that are to succeed the 

 forage. In short, the crop of oats has been more productive 

 than was at first feared. The price of this grain has decidedly 

 fallen in all out markets." 



"Coiiimcrcc v>ith its scruitomfd activity also assists in 



establishing an equilibrium in the price of hay, by taking from 

 those countries which liave been the most favoured, a supply 

 to be transported to those districts in which the deficiency has 

 been the most seriously felt. 



" lu consequence of these circumstances the War Depart- 

 ment has obtained results in its contracts relatively favourable, 

 especially if we consider that the agreements limited ex- 

 ceptionally to six months, embrace the periods of high prices, 

 which will be found to cease at the approach of the harvest 

 of 1859. These residts are placed in the following table." 



Let us now look at the contents of the official table of the 

 contract prices. We have calculated the mean price for each 

 military division, aud also the mean general price. The lowest 

 prices are 8 francs (63. 8d.) at Auch and Tarhes for hay; 4 

 francs for straw in the Cotes lie Nord, I'Allier and le Puy de 

 Dome ; 18 francs for oats in le Morbihan. The highest prices 

 are 17 francs (14s. 2d.) at Cauebrac and Douai for bay ; 9 

 francs 15 cents. (7s. 7^d.) at Fontainbleau for straw ; and 27 

 franca 10 cents. (22s. 7d.) for oats in the 12th miUtary divi- 

 sion. The sales are all by weight and by 100 kilogrammes (2 

 cvt.) In the prif-es inserted in the tables are comprised the 



