PLANTING. 77 



(c.) The age and size of the plants ; young and small 

 plants must be planted closer than old and 

 large ones. 



(d.) The objects of the plantation, whether timber or 

 firewood is to be produced ; whether pieces of 

 large diameter or long boles are the objects of 

 management ; whether the wood is to serve as 

 a protection against landslips, erosion, ava- 

 lanches, hot or cold winds, &c. 



(e.) The state of the market ; where small produce is 

 saleable at remunerative rates, dense planting 

 is indicated; under the opposite conditions, 

 wider planting is more profitable. 



7. Distribution of Plants over Area. 



The distribution of the plants over the area to be 

 stocked can be either irregular or regular. The former 

 is done by eye measure, that is to say, after the average 

 distance between the plants has been fixed, the planting 

 spots are selected by eye. This system requires practice. 



Eegular distribution is done according to geometrical 

 figures, the more usual of which are the following : 



(1.) The equilateral triangle, where the planting spots 

 are at the three corners of the triangle (Fig. 36). 



(2.) The square, four plants being placed at the four 

 corners of the square (Fig. 37). 



(3.) Equidistant lines or rows, in which case the 

 plants stand at shorter intervals in the lines 

 than the distance between the lines ; the plants 

 may be said to occupy the corners of rectangles 

 (Fig. 38). 



