102 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. ° 
Preparation of the Ground. 
It seldom happens that waste ground can be planted without 
some preparatory operations being found necessary to secure a 
favourable start for the young plants. The soil may need break- 
ing up where too hard, or the natural vegetation require removing, 
or both of these operations may be necessary before planting can 
be proceeded with. 
On heathy ground, moor-pan is the most frequent obstacle to 
the healthy growth of trees, and it must be broken up before they 
are planted. Moor-pan occurs in gravelly soils containing a large 
quantity of oxide of iron, which, when in combination with water, 
forms a hard solid stratum, through which tree roots are unable 
to penetrate, and being impervious to rain, it often causes 
swamps. Moor-pan is usually broken up by means of an imple- 
ment called a foot-pick, which is familiar to every forester in the 
north. It must be driven in under the pan if possible, as little 
good will be effected unless it is thoroughly broken up. This 
should be done a considerable time before planting is performed, so 
that the atmosphere may act upon and sweeten the soil, and 
decompose any inert matter contained in it. Hard: gravelly soils 
are also benefited by the above operation, and the extra expense 
incurred is generally compensated for by the growth and vigour of 
the plants compared with those planted in unprepared ground. 
When pitting is intended, which is usually adapted for hard- 
woods, the pits may be opened six months or more before they 
receive the plants, as the soil is thus pulverised by frost, and 
chemically acted upon by the atmosphere. In wet soils, however, 
they are apt to fill with water, and in such cases are better left 
until the time for planting arrives. 
Of natural vegetation, whin or furze is probably the most trouble- 
some to keep down until the plants are out of all danger of being 
smothered. They should be burnt, and the big stumps grubbed 
out as low as possible, as it is the growth from these old stumps 
that proves the most troublesome to deal with, and after the plants 
are in, burning is out of the question. Some recommend cutting 
out lines through the whins, and trenching the soil. This would 
give the plants a better chance of succeeding and growing out of 
danger ; but in badly-infested places they would still require to be 
kept down by cutting. Burning should be done about the middle 
ot June, after the seeds have germinated, and before the pods 
