NATIONAL AFFORESTATION 



timbers. In afforesting there must, how- 

 ever, be no hotchpotch system of planting a 

 mixture of trees in one and the same plantation 

 under the mistaken idea that if one species does 

 not succeed another will. The intelligent 

 forester knows perfectly well which trees are 

 best suited for the particular classes of soils 

 with which he has to deal; also such as are 

 best suited for cold, exposed situations, 

 whether by the seaside or at considerable 

 elevations. Local requirements should also 

 have a voice in deciding the particular class 

 of timber that should be cultivated, such as 

 pitwood in mining districts, beech where 

 chair-making is the main industry, alder and 

 birch where the demand for clog-soles is 

 greatest, and elm and oak for the wheel- 

 wright and furniture-maker. Ash should be 

 planted wherever the soil is suitable, apart 

 altogether from local requirements, as future 

 demand is sure to be great and distance will 

 be little drawback to its fullest utilisation. 

 The best quality of ash timber is well-nigh 

 exhausted, though of second and third grades 

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