THE NEW FORESTRY. 137 



perhaps, better to plant even good land than to sow it, but if 

 sowing is desired it is only needful to plough a couple of 

 furrows, where the rows are to be, and sow on these. Two 

 furrows are turned over and the seed is sown in the shallow 

 furrow formed where the second sod laps over upon the first. 

 The seed may be then covered in with the back of a rake, 

 and the work is finished. The first year weeds will not be 

 troublesome, but in the second and third years the rows should 

 be looked over and the grass and other herbage pushed off the 

 young trees so as to give them light. We much prefer this 

 plan to sowing broadcast 



SECTION VIII. PLANTING. SIZE AND AGE OF THE 

 PLANTS. 



Where any doubt exists about sowing, recourse must be 

 had to planting properly prepared young trees of a suitable 

 size. The younger the trees are the less they cost to buy or 

 raise and to plant, and the better they succeed, but the same 

 objection applies to very small plants that applies to sowing 

 seed, viz., their inability to struggle successfully against coarse 

 weeds and tall grass, etc., during the first year or two. For 

 this reason, established plants, from three to four years of age 

 or thereabout, that have been transplanted at least every two 

 years, and which are from one foot to twenty inches high, 

 are usually preferred. Young (one or two-year-old) seedlings 

 cost from two shillings and sixpence to seven shillings and 

 sixpence per thousand, and may be planted by the dibber or 

 trowel, under the conditions before described as suitable for 

 seed, and with every prospect of success, but not otherwise. 

 Such trees, though not usually transplanted, move safely 

 and suffer but little check, but not so trees above that age- 

 pines more particularly. Hence the practice, in all good nur- 

 series, of transplanting every second, or at most every third 

 year, in order to check luxuriant growth and keep the roots 

 short and bushy, so that when the trees are finally removed 

 to the woods they make a good start. If transplanting has 

 been neglected failures may be expected. Of course, frequent 

 transplanting adds to the price of the trees, and in justice to 

 respectable nurserymen who transplant their stock frequently, 

 it should be stated that when plants of large size are offered 

 much under the market price it may be suspected that trans- 

 planting has been neglected and that the trees may prove 

 dear to the purchaser on that account. Thirty shillings 



