Forest Work for tJic Month. 421 



7. The purchaser to pay two shillings per acre, in addition to the 

 purchase-money, at the time of sale, for laying out and measuring. 



8. The vendor reserves to himself or his agent the right of one 

 bidding. 



Then follows the usual memorandum of agreement to be signed 

 by the purchaser. 



The forester's principal operation during October should be 

 planting, and the collection of such seeds as ripen during the month. 

 I would repeat here a maxim which I have elsewhere quoted — 

 "Plant before Martinmas (Nov. 11th), and co?/2Wft??f/ growth ; plant 

 after Candlemas, and entreat." The advantages of early planting 

 (except in very wet soils, wdiich should speedily be drained) are 

 numerous, and need not be repeated here. 



Among the seeds which ripen during October may be mentioned 

 the Norway maple and walnut, in the early part, — the sycamore, 

 horse-chestnut, and birch, about the middle, — and the alder, ash, 

 beech, and generally the oak, towards the end. Though the 

 collection and care of these seeds come more immediately under the 

 department of the nurseryman than that of the forester, yet, as a 

 good home nursery, proportioned to the breadth of woodland and 

 'the probable demands of future plantations, should be found on every 

 large estate, some remarks upon the subject may not be out of place 

 here. As the seeds of tlie oak, walnut, sycamore, horse-chestnut, and 

 Norway maple should be sown as soon as collected, it will be 

 necessary to have land in readiness for their reception. Where it is 

 difficult to keep these seeds from the attacks of rooks and other pre- 

 daceous birds and the small rodents during the winter, spring sowing 

 must be resorted to. But autumn sowing will often give a whole season's 

 start to the seedlings, and is consequently likely to repay a little extra 

 trouble and outlay. Plant in drills sufficiently wide to admit of hand- 

 hoeing and weeding. Proportion the quantities of seed and breadths 

 of ground to future requirements. One bushel of seed of average 

 quality and with proper care will produce about the following numbers 

 of plants : — oak, 6,000 to 8,000, — Norway maple, 12,000 ; sycamore, 

 12,000 to 13,000 ; walnut, 4,000 to 5,000 ; horse-chestnut, 2,000; ash 

 12,000 to 15,000 ; beech, 10,000 to 12,000. The lighter the smaller 

 seeds are covered the better. If placed beyond the reach of heat they 

 will not germinate. 



It is always better to secure seed from trees of medium age : 

 the produce of very young trees generally proves barren, and that of 

 aged trees furnishes plants of a weakly growth. Bear in mind that 

 the seeds of hornbeam and ash do not germinate till the second 

 spring. 



October is a good time to cut back two years' transplanted oak, 



