{HE FORMATION OF PLANTATIONS. 119 
If a fair proportion of the trees survive, the former operation is 
often neglected on the grounds of economy, and rendering a profitless 
thinning unnecessary. When the production of large trees is alone 
aimed at, such an omission may be commendable, but when a crop of 
clean-grown timber of good quality isdesired, it has several objections. 
In the first place, it favours the growth of coarse side branches 
wherever gaps exist, which often attain considerable size before they 
are overpowered and killed by the closing up of the leaf canopy, 
causing black knots in the timber. Secondly, the stems are exposed 
to the sun, and unequal zones of soft and sappy wood are formed 
early in the season. Thirdly, the complete subjection of the 
herbage is considerably retarded, and the roots of the trees are 
deprived of a good deal of the available food. Fourthly, the 
mechanical condition of the soil produced by close shade, and a 
covering of decaying leaves, which is so eminently favourable to the 
production of roots, is not attained until the trees are in close order, 
and is therefore longer in taking place when gaps are numerous. 
The above objections more than counterbalance any advantage to 
be gained by the omission of beating up, and therefore it should be 
attended to wherever practicable. 
The subjection of rubbish depends a good deal upon its nature. 
Whins and broom must be carefully watched and kept from closing 
over and smothering the plants, and if they are cut over with a 
hand or hedge bill every two years until the plants are well above 
them, there is little danger of this taking place. Grass rarely does 
much harm, except to very young plants, which should never be 
planted amongst it. Brackens, brambles, &c., will require annual 
attention for a year or two, but the work should never be entrusted 
to careless or irresponsible hands, or more harm is likely to be done 
than good. 
After the plants are fairly established in the soil, they will 
require little attention until the eighth or tenth year, according to 
the rate of growth, but hardwoods should be gone over, and all 
double leaders removed. Oaks often refuse to start freely into 
srowth after being transplanted, and when this is the case they 
should be cut over close to the ground, and allowed to break away 
from the bottom, all but the strongest shoot being removed after a 
year or two. 
About the tenth year after planting, the first regular thinning is 
usually performed. This is generally done by cutting out every 
other plant, and leaving them about double the former distance 
