190 FOBESTAL NOTES. [Jan., 



furze; and, lastly, tliey take more kindly to bad soils, come away 

 better, and attain value more rapidly, than deciduous trees. The 

 two species principally grown are Finns maritima, or Pinaster, and 

 P. sylvestris, Scotch Pine. 



Their effect in drying the soil is infinitely superior to that of the 

 hardwoods, as we have ample opportunities of ascertaining here, 

 woods and plantations of the latter being scattered all over the dis- 

 trict. The superiority of the conifers in that respect is evidently due 

 to the fact that they continue throughout the winter, when evapora- 

 tion is most required, to absorb the water in the soil by means of 

 their powerful searching roots, and to evaporate it through their 

 leaves ; while the vital functions of the deciduous trees are sus- 

 pended. This connecting movement thus kept up between the soil 

 and the atmosphere avoids stagnation, and, combined with the bal- 

 samic properties of the Pine, purifies the atmosphere ; hence the 

 high sanitary value of the tree in unhealthy climates, its action being 

 similar to that of the Eucalyptus, though in a less degree. But to 

 return to the simple question of their draining effect, it is certain 

 that, in a wet winter here, we generally find dry footing in a Pine 

 plantation, and seldom in a broad-leaved one, except where special 

 drains have been opened. 



Shortly after buying this property in 1870, I made a pond in the 

 park I then laid out, the plantations of which were mostly of coni- 

 fers ; it was fed to overflowing by the drainage water I directed into 

 it. It gradually dried up from the absorbing effect of the young 

 plantations round it, and I was obliged, two years ago, to reduce its 

 size by half, and to double its depth, in order to retain any water in 

 it at all. 



There are, besides, many instances in this country where the Scotch 

 Pine planted on boggy ground, without any other preparation than a 

 few shallow surface drains to allow of the plants taking, has tho- 

 roughly drained the land, and formed handsome and vigorous 

 plantations. 



The December number of ' Forestry ' contains a valuable article, 

 signed E. H., on the characteristics of soils, which treats, among 

 other subjects, of the means of preventing waste of nitrates— a 

 subject to which special attention has been drawn by experiments 

 at Rothamsted. 



The Journal of Horticulture published, quite lately, an interesting 

 article on that subject, recommending for gardens, instead of the 



