374 PLANTING UNDER THE SHADE OF TREES. [March 



PLANTING UNDUE THE SHADE OF TREES. 



IN the policies around country seats, where trees have been 

 allowed to grow crowded together, and in old and neglected 

 plantations, with a close canopy of leaA'es and branches excluding 

 sunshine from the ground for the best part of the year, the surface 

 of the earth is generally as destitiite as a desert of all vegetation 

 of a useful or pleasing nature. This arises, in most instances, 

 from want of attention at the proper time. To keep up a healthy 

 growth of plants under the drip and shade of tall trees, requires 

 that constant care be given to the thinning and pr^^ning of the trees, 

 and also of the undergrowth of low trees and shrubs. Whenever 

 the shade becomes so dense that the undergrowth begins to look 

 weak and sickly, then pruning, or thinning of the trees, becomes 

 absolutely necessary, if it is desired to retain the undergrowth in 

 a healthy and pleasing condition. A neglect of this work for one 

 or two seasons does more injury than is generally imagined, and is 

 the cause of much worry and expense for years afterwards, in 

 trying to renew the undergrowth. It is far easier, and much less 

 costly, to preserve the first crop of undergrowth, than to rear a 

 second crop on the same ground, which is already exhausted of 

 nutriment, and overrun with the hungry rootlets of the trees. 

 When the injury is done, however, and it has become necessary to 

 restore a green mantle to the surface of the earth, this can be 

 accomplished with success, if the work is judiciously performed, 

 and a proper selection of plants made which are known to thrive 

 well in the shade of trees. There are a few species of trees under 

 the shade of which no other tree or shrub will thrive — either from 

 their dense canopy overhead, their surface-rooting habits, or, what 

 is less common, the deleterious nature of the drip from their leaves or 

 branches. All evergreen trees are more or less injurious to under- 

 growth, and it is rarely seen in a vigorous state beneath tliem. This 

 is most marked in the evergreen conifers, and particularly the 

 spruces, which besides having a thick and close canopy are also 

 surface-rooting, and consequently the ground beneath their shade is 

 generally bare of vegetation, refusing to be clothed under the most 

 skilful treatment. Among deciduous trees, the beech and horse 

 chestnut are the most injurious to the vegetation under them, 

 mostly from their heavy umbrageous heads, and especially the 

 siirface-rooting habit of the beech. Beneath such trees it is most 

 difScult to get any ligneous plant to live, and they never will 

 thrive ; although, where the cost is not an object, a green appear- 

 ance may be kept up for a time. 



