NATIONAL AFFORESTATION 



unfavourable, a good practice is to carry out 

 trie work in autumn and plant the following 

 spring, as by so doing the full benefit of a 

 winter's frost in sweetening and ameliorat- 

 ing the soil is ensured. The cost of pitting 

 varies greatly, according to the quality of 

 soil and wages paid in the district, but 

 from Is. 8d. to 2s. 6d. per 100 is about the 

 average. 



During favourable weather tree-planting 

 may be most successfully carried out from 

 about the beginning of October to the end of 

 February, but, generally speaking, autumn 

 planting is to be recommended. There are, 

 however, several exceptions, such as on ex- 

 posed or maritime situations, on water-logged 

 soil, and peat-bog, when spring planting is 

 preferable; but in all other cases tree-planting 

 in the British Isles should be commenced soon 

 after the fall of the leaf, which usually takes 

 place in the second or third week of October, 

 according to season. 



Notch-planting is certainly the most ex- 

 peditious and by far the cheapest method of 



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