ENGLAND. 



In recommending the felling and stripping of birch, beech, Spanish 

 chestnut, and alder, towards the end of November, my remarks were 

 based upon the superiority of the wood when so treated, and not upon 

 any useful purpose to which the bark can be applied, as we have no 

 market here for anything except oak bark. Where the trees are sold 

 by measure the bark will of course be included. Since the issue of 

 the November number of the Journal of Forestry, in which is recom- 

 mended, as the result of much experience, the felling of ash before the 

 end of January, my attention has been directed to the following re- 

 mark by a royal forester — Eobert Monteath — which was published 

 in 1831 : — " The ash should always be felled from after the 15th ot 

 November till the last week in January, and never before nor after 

 that time, to have good timber, and to do it justice ; nor is it at all 

 easy to season ash timber properly when cut down at any other season 

 than the above." 



Weather permitting, planting may be continued until the middle of 

 the month ; but treading of the soil around plants should now be 

 avoided. To secure them from frost, and as a protection against wind, 

 heap a little extra soil around them, and allow it to settle down gra- 

 dually. At this season of the year great risk attends the removal 

 of plants which have been standing thickly in nurseries, finish 

 digging holes for spring planting that the soil may become well pul- 

 verized. By a timely exposure many of its insoluble substances, such 

 as carbonate of lime, are changed and rendered soluble ; the formation 

 of ammonia and nitric acid is facilitated, and all vegetable matters 

 are rapidly decomposed. 



Considerable progress should now be made in falling coppice or 

 underwood ; and the produce should be removed or gathered along 

 the sides of clearance roads. Here it is customary to shave hop-poles 

 soon after cutting, and to stripe or notch, and cover up use-poles. 



When not too wet, dig young plantations, especially of birch, cut- 

 ting off two years transplants which are not making satisfactory pro- 

 gress. Ordinary soils may be well and carefully dug at 3d. per 



