1885.] FOREST WORK FOR THE MONTH. 14- 



SCOTLAND. 



NOT only in every country, but in almost every county or 

 estate, the work of forestry, or perhaps more properly speak- 

 ing forester's works, vary so greatly that it -would ha almost im- 

 possible to enumerate or describe them. The works of forestry, 

 pure and simple, ought probably to consist only of the culture of 

 forest trees. As it is, however, most foresters have to discliar^e 

 many other duties besides those of forestry, and do whatever is laid 

 to their hands. 



Oak-bark peeling should by tliis time have been finished, and 

 the drying and storing of it now engaging all hands. One thine 

 to be specially observed is, that the bark be thoroughly dry 

 before stacking or storing in the barn, grain loft, or other place of 

 keeping. 



Larch may still be peeled, and the same precautions are applic- 

 able to it as to oak in regard to drying. It must neither be stored 

 wet, damp, nor put in a close or damp place : better spoil outside 

 than in. 



One and the best form of pruning may now be practised, namely, 

 disbudding or pinching off the ends of the young shoots. This has 

 the threefold advantage of being at once cheaply and expeditiously 

 done, leaving no unsightly marks behind it, and doing little or no 

 harm to the tree itself. 



Young hedges which had been dug over in winter will now 

 require to be well raked, both in order to keep down the germi- 

 nating weeds and to close the ground so as to retain the moisture. 

 Draining in general, and especially making and cleaning ditches 

 with much w^ater in them, can now be done to greater advantage 

 than in winter. 



All gate painting, varnishing, and tarring palings and ■ fences in 

 general may now be done to great advantage. All ivy and ever- 

 green pruning in general should be finished as soon as can be done. 

 General fencing should now be completed, whether wire or other 

 kind of fencing, except perhaps turf dykes, which are better done 

 earlier, in order that the turf may take root and grow before the 

 dry weather sets in. The nursery should now have close attention, 

 and both the hoe and rake kept going. In an old-established 

 nursery after the first hoeing, M'here the weeds are very troublesome, 

 what often answers better than repeated hoeing, is to dig or point 

 over the ground with the spade. This of course cannot be done 

 amongst very young plants, and where the rows are close. On the 

 general borders and amongst older and advanced plants, where there 



