THE LAYING-OUT OF A MIXED PLANTATION. 35 
Bracken can be considerably checked by repeated cutting 
during the two preceding seasons. 
Heather is not so troublesome, because it can be effectively 
checked by burning two seasons before the ground is planted, so 
that the bare and caked condition of the soil will have dis- 
appeared. 
Brambles and Briars can be got rid of by grubbing. They 
are not very troublesome to the young plants if cut back for two 
or three seasons. 
On ground where there is a thick, grassy turf, it is often a 
good plan to break it up by ploughing. One plough should 
skim off the surface growth and turn it into the bottom of the 
furrow. Another plough, following in the same track, should 
turn over the fresh soil on the top of the turf. A crop of oats 
may be grown, and then the ground planted in the spring. This 
plan is very expensive, but it often pays, as, when the turf is 
6 inches or so in thickness, the plants put in without any prepara- 
tion stand a poor chance of growing well, the tree being practi- 
cally starved before its roots can penetrate to the good soil 
beneath. 
4. Roads and Rides.—It is necessary to mark off, before 
planting operations are begun, the roads and rides which are to 
intersect the woods. Cross-rides need not be more than 12 feet 
wide at time of planting and main roads 24 feet, with not more 
than 200 yards between them, as dragging trees for a greater 
distance than too yards to the nearest ride is somewhat 
expensive. 
5. Treatment of Plants in Nursery.—It is very generally the 
custom, and a good one, to buy plants from public nurserymen 
as one- or two-year seedlings. When transplants are bought, 
the root-system is often found to be much deformed. But, by 
buying one-year seedlings and planting them in a home or 
temporary nursery, near the area to be planted, strong and 
healthy plants are obtained with a good root-system. Such 
seedlings should be planted in something like the following 
way :—Dig two or three spadings, as the case may be, across 
the break, and level evenly down with the back of the spade. 
Then set the line 15 inches in the case of hardwoods, and 
12 inches for conifer seedlings, from the preceding row—and 
plant twelve or fifteen to the yard. The most important part of 
the operation is to cut the trench deep enough, and with a 
