BELGIAN FORESTRY IN SOME OF ITS ASPECTS. 143 
The geology of the locality round Rochefort is somewhat 
varied. In some parts the formation is limestone, in which are 
large underground caverns, and consequently the overlying soil 
is very dry and poor; but on other parts the geological forma- 
tion is different, and the soil is more fertile and the crops better. 
In the communal woods the original intention was to form hard- 
wood plantations, and the ground, which, by the way, is rather 
hilly, was accordingly stocked with broad-leaved species ; but the 
result was a complete failure, and Scots and Austrian pine had 
to be planted as a preparatory crop. Here we got some valuable 
information regarding the way in which hilly ground, covered 
with rough herbage, is prepared for planting. First of all, the 
ground is heavily stocked with sheep, which are hand-fed in 
order to make up for deficiency in their natural food. Two or 
three years’ grazing with sheep results in a change from rough 
herbage to fine pasturage; and to still further improve the soil, 
it receives a dressing of 8 cwts. of basic slag per acre while the 
ground is being grazed. When the planting of pines comes to 
be done on this improved land, small plants can be used, say 
2-years’ seedlings, or, better still, 1-year—1-year transplants. 
These are planted about a yard apart with the ordinary dibbling- 
iron ; and in connection with this, it has been shown that plant- 
ing in September and October gives the best results, as a certain 
amount of root-action sets in before winter, and there are conse- 
quently very few deaths. The ground is very stony, and the 
stones are often utilised for the purpose of checking the escape 
of moisture from the soil, by being placed, one on either side, over 
the roots of the plants. Sowing seed had been tried, but had 
resulted in failure; and, so far as experience had gone, sowing, 
to be successful, must be done in spring, while the best results 
from planting were got when this was done in autumn. 
Once the crop is established it is left pretty much to itself for 
the first twenty years of its growth, dead or dying trees only 
being removed where necessary. At thirty years of age a slight 
thinning is made, with the object of clearing small spaces, at more 
or less regular intervals, for the insertion of beech plants. In 
addition to beech, other broad-leaved species, such as _ birch, 
willow, blackthorn, etc., are encouraged to grow, and thus, when 
the final cutting of pines is made at forty years of age, there is a 
fairly good sprinkling of hardwoods in the ground, which act as 
nurses to the oak or other hardwoods which are then planted. 
