Cultural First Principles. 



ByG. S. BOULGER, F.L.S., F.G.S., late Professor of Natural History in thb 

 Agricultural College, Cirencester. 



III. Theoretical Considerations as to the Treatment of 



THE Soil. 

 (Continued from 'page 3 83 J 



Having briefly considered the natural characters of soils, we will next 

 discuss the treatment to which they should be submitted by the 

 arboriculturist. I do not, however, feel competent to trench in thia 

 paper on the technics of forestry, which were admirably defined by 

 Mr. King in the last number of the Journal. I wish merely to offer 

 some of the considerations which tlieory suggests on this practical 

 subject, and in doing this I shall not at present pause to define the 

 relation of theory to practice, or to defend the former against the 

 ignorant attacks occasionally made upon it by irrational and unthinking 

 people. 



The operations which we have to consider under the head of treat- 

 ment of the soil are draining, trenching, ploughing, picking, and 

 clearing. Manuring, rotation, and leaving fallow will be incidentally 

 alluded to. 



1. Drainage. — " In Scottish moorland more plants, perhaps, have 

 been lost by being inserted into ground too wet than by any other 

 cause, and it is seldom that any considerable extent of ground is 

 found adapted for plantation without some parts requiring to be 

 drained." (Grigor.) " To the want of draining may be attributed 

 most cases of unhealthiness in plantations for forty years past." 

 (Brown.) He refers especially to diseases of the larch. "As for 

 draining, except in the case of stagnant pools, it must be resorted to 

 with great moderation, A few ditches judiciously dug ensure suffi- 

 cient drainage, for it must not be forgotten that our most valuable 

 species delight in very moist and even wet soils, e. r/., the pedunculate 

 oak, ash, elm, hornbeam, spruce fir, and alder. This has been some- 

 times forgotten. Whenever the water is not stagnant so that the soil 

 does not become actually marshy, draining is a mistake. There is no 

 doubt that the premature decay of the pedunculated oak in many 

 places, and its disappearance in others, are due to over-drainage. This 

 species is the tree ^;rtr excellence of low-lying plains which are subject 



VOL. I. 2 K 



