PLANTATIONS. 87 



little else to do at them than to keep the land 

 clean ; but this will, in some degree, depend upon 

 the distance which he has chosen for them ; and 

 on the kind which he intends for the final crop of 

 timber. But whatever they may be whether the 

 Oak alone, or along with some other species, the 

 trees intended for timber will demand the peculiar, 

 the unremitted, attention of the planter : his object 

 must ever be to deal with all the rest, with 

 distinct, direct, and positive reference to the 

 careful nursing of those: and it must always 

 be borne in mind, that whatever be the fate 

 of the nurses, those which I will again distin- 

 guish from the rest, by calling them the stand- 

 ard trees, must, if possible, be kept in vigorous 

 health. This can only be done, concurrently 

 with the ultimate object of securing great length 

 of bole, by pruning of some sort or other. If the 

 trees are so planted as to insure natural pruning, 

 no other, except of the nurses, will be required, 

 but the first operation will be thinning; which 

 should be done with great care and judgment. 

 Where it is not so done, it is more than probable 

 that trees will be taken which should have been 



