124 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



planting that first led us to begin a month earlier, in autumn, 

 soil conditions being favourable. It is well known that the 

 soft young shoots and leaves of firs and other evergreens 

 suffer far more severely from drought and evaporation than do 

 the older leaves, and we concluded that if young plants started 

 into tender growth could stand moving and resist the bright 

 sunshine and drought of May, the more mature plants of 

 August and September would transplant equally well or better, 

 and it was found that they did so. Our guide, therefore, now, 

 is not dates, but the condition of the current season's growth. 

 If the terminal shoots have ceased to lengthen and have 

 plumped their buds they may be transplanted in August, or 

 even earlier, with every prospect of success, always provided 

 that the soil is workable and moist, or that watering is practi- 

 cable. Of course, pit-planting only should be the method 

 adopted in the woods, and the pits should be made as the 

 planting goes on. There is no advantage whatever in digging 

 the pits long beforehand ; the soil is never in better condition 

 than when newly turned up for planting all kinds of plants. 

 Gardeners have long acted in this belief. The main advantage 

 of early autumn planting is that the plants get established 

 before winter and make a good growth the following year ; 

 whereas in winter and early spring planting those that survive 

 make hardly any growth, only expanding their buds but 

 remaining practically at a standstill for one whole year. This 

 loss of a year's growth, during which there is no increment to 

 the stem, means more than might be supposed. It will be 

 apparent that whether the tree be planted in autumn or the 

 spring following, the ensuing summer's growth will be the 

 first year's growth in either case ; hence by planting in 

 autumn, and getting the trees established .before winter, a 

 season's growth is gained the first year, against 'none by 

 planting in the spring. Supposing a tree to contain one 

 hundred cubic feet at the end of one hundred years, when 

 felled and sold, that would represent an average annual incre- 

 ment to the stem of one cubic foot But if the tree stood still 

 one year, the first year, instead of adding to its growth, the 

 actual growing period of the tree's life would be ninety-nine 

 years, the contents of the stem proportionately less, and the 

 loss in money over an extensive plantation might be repre- 

 sented by hundreds or perhaps thousands of pounds. This 

 question of increment is much more intelligently studied on 

 the Continent than with us, as in the case of large areas it 

 is perceived that anything tending to check the regular pro- 



