650 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. [Feb. 



Ec[ually simple also and equally efiective is the principle of the 

 management of the firewood forests. The supply is always kept 

 somewhat in excess of the demand. 



It will, of course, be remembered that in any comparison made 

 between Switzerland and our own country, the fact must not be lost 

 sight of that the appreciation of the advantages of forest management 

 is unavoidably forced upon the people of Switzerland. For without 

 the protecting barriers of trees — which are thus necessary for very 

 existence — many of the villages would be carried away by avalanches 

 or buried under the snows. And as little or no coal is used in the 

 country, the people are almost wholly dependent upon firewood for 

 fuel. 



And it will also be remembered that no great exigencies of public 

 service, such as those entailed by the pressing demands of the 

 Government dockyards or arsenals, are forced upon the forest adminis- 

 tration in Switzerland. Forest conservancy is in fact a comparatively 

 easy task, and we are not likely for many years to come to manage 

 our forests, even if they are created, with such simple regularity. 

 But the above facts, we hope, cannot fail to be interesting to a 

 forest-loving people such as the Scotch are and ought to be. — I am, 

 etc, George Cadell, 



late Indian Forest Department. 

 Latjsajn'ne, 31s< December 1885. 



REARING OAK PLANTATIONS FROM ACORNS. 



Ol IE, — I note in the current month oi Forestry an inquiry respecting 

 k3 the raising of a plantation of oak, whether it is most desirable to 

 plant young trees or acorns? I also note your remarks. Having had 

 over 40 years' experience in the woods of Herefordshire, Shropshire, 

 and "Worcestershire, I think I may be able to give your correspondent 

 a little advice that may be useful to him. 



In the first place, I would say, do not attempt to plant acorns of 

 last year's growth, as the early frost interfered so much with the 

 ripening of all kinds of fruit that large quantities never ripened 

 properly. Hundreds of trees in this district might have been seen 

 in December with a fair load of apples on, without a single leaf, and 

 the oak trees which had a crop of acorns were studded with rooks 

 getting the fruit because it would not drop ; therefore I imagine these 

 imperfectly developed acorns — even if they germinated — would 

 never produce healthy and vigorous trees. If your correspondent 

 will procure a few healthy acorns, and put them in a damp place, 

 they will in a few days send out a tap-root which has a very sharp 



