1884.] FOBEST WORK FOR THE MONTH. 433 



Clear away loose hanging or broken branches from trees in woods 

 and plantations, and clear off brushwood from the roads and rides, 

 and from amongst the stools in coppice woods. Pinish ffraftin""" 

 forest trees, and repair defects in clay of previous grafts. Earth up 

 tlie lines of dwarf grafts, leaving the scion only above ground. 

 Finish the trimming of evergreen shrubs and hedges, and cut or trim 

 up ivy on w^alls. The new foliage will iu a short time hide tlie bare 

 appearance of this operation. 



NuESERY. — Finish transplanting as early as possible, and sow all 

 sorts of coniferre seeds. Protect the seed beds from birds by some 

 sort of covering of branches, straw, rushes, ferns, or nets. If the 

 latter is used the seeds require a heavier covering of earth than when 

 the beds are covered by a closer protecting medium. Weed all seed 

 beds, and dig the alleys. Dig between the rows of trees, and keep 

 the ground clear of weeds. Protect young nursery stock from frosts 

 by twigs of Spruce, Laurel, or something of a similar kind, stuck into 

 the beds, not to cover the plants, but to shade them from the sun- 

 shine that follows the frosts. 



Oak Baeking will probabl}^ begin early this season after such a 

 mild winter as we have just passed through. All other work should 

 be pushed forward, and everything got ready to take advantage of the 

 early season, and commence operations as soon as the bark will ru'.i. 

 Tanners prefer the bark stripped early in the season. 



A. Patersox. 

 Hunstretc, Pensford, Bristol. 



SCOTLAND. 



If the present season has a claim to be remembered as being com- 

 paratively free from frost and snow, it has also for the frequency and 

 severity of its gales. Another hurricane from the south-west w.is 

 experienced in the early hours of Thursday, the 21st of Februnry. 

 It was, however, of short duration ; but while it lasted was extremsly 

 violent, and I think may be put down as the most severe g-^de tlinn 

 has passed over this district for at least sixteen years. Althouoh, s> 

 far as I know, there has been no destruction to forests anything 

 approaching to what was reported from the south the previous month, 

 there has nevertheless been a great many trees in the more exposeti 

 situations broken and blown down. Here there are more than at 

 any time within the period referred to. There has, however, been n> 

 damage of a serious character. The weather of the past m juth in 

 some parts of the country was less favourable for planting ojjeratio is 

 than that of the previous mouths of the season, a considerable dep;h 



