1885.] FOREST WORK FOR THE MONTH. 517 



j^OREST Work for the Month. 



ENGLAND. 



THE phenomena of December are generally a mere continuation 

 of the characteristics of the preceding month. Although some- 

 times it presents an improvement upon the gloom and disagreeable- 

 ness of November, it often acquires a stern and wintry character 

 towards its close. The mean average rainfall is nearly 2^ inches, 

 and the mean evaporation about two-thirds of an inch. Last 

 December the rainfall at the three undermentioned places was as 

 follows : — 



At Bristol, rain fell on 18 days to a depth of 5-289 inches. 

 „ Glasgow, „ 22 „ 5*44 



„ Edinburgh, „ 18 „ 3 '6 3 „ 



Orchabd. — When the weather will admit, continue to plant and 

 prune fruit trees, and also continue the pruning of fruit bushes, such 

 as gooseberries, currants, rasps, etc., and if possible finish them 

 before the close of the month. Stiff soils should be dug up roughly, 

 and exposed as much as possible to the action of the weather. 

 Support lately planted trees, and repair and strengthen tree guards. 



Fences. — Continue to trim and dress thorn hedges ; and cut, 

 plash, and lay rough hedges of every kind, cleaning out their ditches, 

 and making up their banks. 



Dkains. — The drainage of agricultural lands should be pushed on, 

 so as to have all the works connected therewith finished up in good 

 time for the spring work of the farm. Any works of this kind, 

 however limited in extent, possess an importance in the economy of 

 the farm and estate. And they should always be designed with 

 care, and carried out in a systematic and efficient manner, under the 

 direction of an experienced drainer. Where the gradients are not 

 very pronounced, instrumental levelling should always be resorted to, 

 and the gradients of the main drains carefully determined. In such 

 cases, plugs should be driven in at short distances apart ; sometimes 

 necessarily at every chain length, having the depths of the drain at 

 these points marked on them in pencil, as a guide to the excavator. 



Examine all previously made drains, and remove obstructions. 

 Keep the outlets open, and the field ditches cleanly scoured. Give 

 particular attention to all open wood drains, ditches and water- 

 courses, and remove all accumiilations from them of branches, leaves, 

 and other obstructions to the free flow of their waters. 



EoADS. — Eepair roads where necessary, and see that all stones 



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