PLANTATIONS. 57 



But the majority of Plantations, which are 

 commenced without any preparation of the soil, are 

 complete failures, as may be seen by any one who 

 chooses to take the trouble to examine for himself. 

 Influenced by a most mistaken notion of 

 economy, many persons plant their trees on land 

 which is already rally occupied it may be, by ling, 

 by bracken, or by long grass, or twitch and in 

 most cases of this sort, the greater number die ; 

 but there may probably remain a few which sustain 

 a feeble existence, so as just to make a show of 

 a Plantation, and the owner seldom gives himself 

 the trouble to attempt to ascertain why it is no 

 better. The method usually adopted, when plant- 

 ing is done in this way, is, to dig small holes at 

 fixed distances, into which the plants are put by 

 the workman in the best manner that he can, and 

 they are left to fight their way as best they may. 



Mr. Withers, of Holt, in Norfolk, has ably, 

 and indignantly, denounced the hole-digging sys- 

 tem, and has shown, most clearly, the advantage 

 of "the highest degree of culture" for raising 

 timber, whether as a pecuniary question, or where 

 it is wanted for merely ornamental purposes. It 



