90 Forestry Quarterly. 



suits here recorded. "Dry turf is a most improper designation 

 for this raw humus." 



The leaf-fall of the dense sowings fertilized the soil bountiful- 

 ly, and the heather vanished. After 15 years the first thinning for 

 bean poles, etc., took place in the pine stands, large quantities of 

 dead material being downed at the same time. Later, insects 

 and fungi, especially the latter, did the thinning, but the remark- 

 able improvement in soil conditions by the pine needles exhibited 

 itself in the appearance of such a soil flora, as Stellaria, Oxalis, 

 Anemone, Fragaria, where formerly all was Calluna, and oak 

 and beech began to return, planted by birds, and throve in spite 

 of the "dry turf." In some parts this return has given rise to ex- 

 cellent hardwood stands and at the same time has produced im- 

 provements in the health of the pine. Underplanting has be- 

 come the practice. Where this was done too late and the return 

 to heather threatened, spruce was resorted to. 



In the old dense spruce sowings the battle with the heather con- 

 tinued longer than in the pine sowings. With the removal of 

 the coppice, the heather had thrived and made matters difficult 

 for the slow spruce, which in 10 years had not yet overtopped the 

 heather. Then, when the supervisor had almost given up hope, 

 gradually some few trees on each seed plot developed dominancy 

 and, gradually increasing in rate^ in a short time the spruce had 

 caught up, and far outgrew the pine ; excellent longbodied clear 

 sound stands are the result ; not a trace of the needy years of 

 early life are visible. 



In comparison, the author cites a plantation with four-year old 

 transplants, an innovation at the time which from the very start 

 left the sowings behind and despised, growing at a most rapid 

 rate. After 60 years, however, the difference is quite the other 

 way. In vain do you look for an advantage of the plantation. 

 The sowings, left entirely to themselves, exceed the planted 

 stands in height, the value of the smooth boles is greater, the soil 

 is in better condition and volume production is visibly larger. 



After further derogatory remarks on the results of planting 

 at 4-foot spacing with 4-year transplants, the success of planting 

 with ball is extolled. This planting is done by using the hollow 

 spade, setting in couples, 6 inches apart on one- foot square plots, 

 which is done cheaply with plants from the sowings, and in spite 



