82 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



food from the atmosphere, and, comparatively, only a fractional 

 portion from the soil in the shape of mineral substances, 

 and there are hardly any soils, however poor, that do not con- 

 tain the latter in sufficient quantity for the growth of timber 

 trees, provided the moisture is sufficient That much has been 

 proved by practical observation and scientific investigation. 



Paul Charpentier, one of the best European authorities on 

 this subject, in his book on " Timber," translated by Kennell 

 (Scott, Greenwood & Co.), advises " the planting of every kind 

 of soil which it is found cannot give any other remunerative 

 product ; " but one condition he considers essential on sloping 

 lands apt to become dry, and that is, . the " retention of water 

 which favours in a high degree the growth of trees of all ages." 

 In other words, do not drain without good reasons. 



The following table, by the same author, shows the pro- 

 perties of the wood of the beech, oak, aspen, birch and willow, 

 and represent pretty fairly the properties of all our forest trees. 

 The three first columns show the percentage of carbon, or 

 charcoal, and gases derived mainly from the atmosphere ; and 

 the right-hand column " ashes " the mineral substances 

 derived from the soil : 



Ashes. 



7-118 

 3*454 



'34 

 3-682 

 0*134 

 2*903 

 0-354 

 2-657 

 0*296 

 0-129 

 0*231 



The author drew particular attention to this subject in a paper 

 of his, read before the Royal Horticultural Society and pub- 

 lished in its Transactions in 1895, and an extract from that 

 paper may perhaps be usefully given here : 



" Given a root-hold in a healthy soil, however poor, a tree 

 will grow and produce a timber trunk of surprising dimensions. 

 Innumerable examples widely apart could be furnished to 



