390 FOREST ENTOMOLOGY. 



making quality a leading feature, and the insect pest will often dis- 

 appear. What are correct principles in planting? The answer may 

 be varied according to the class of planting. Thus we may have here 

 (1) planting on a large area, chiefly pure or mixed, only by grouping 

 according to soil conditions ; (2) a mixed plantation on previously 

 cultivated land ; (3) clumps or groups of trees for landscape eil'ect ; 

 and (4) replanting of old woods. 



(1) Planting on a large area. If the ground be quite bare and the 

 herbage not very rough, the usual method of notching may be adopted 

 with very good healthy results ; but if, on the other hand, the sur- 

 face conditions are against using a small plant, then unless some extra 

 care in preparation be adopted, the results will not be so good, and 

 therefore much to the advantage of insect attack. 



(2) As regards planting with the object of forming a new plot on 

 previously cultivated land, more especially in a pasture field, the plants 

 are rather difficult to get away, and often hang on for a considerable 

 time. It is from this class of planting that we often get very severe 

 attacks of Cliermes on larch, and, in fact, many larch plants are killed 

 with the aphis. This attack might often be considerably reduced if 

 a little more attention were given to a few practical details. In the 

 first place, the wrong size and age of larch plant is used viz., two 

 years two years, or four years old ; and some use one year three 

 years, which is even worse. The plea is that a large plant is used to 

 save expense of cleaning. A smaller plant and attention in keeping 

 down the grass will give better results. The best results of planting 

 a mixed plantation, including larch for early returns, would be to 

 plant off ploughed land and keep the grass and herbage down for 

 two years. The planting could be cheaper done, both as regards 

 plants and labour ; and even if following a green crop, it would pay 

 to allow for " unexhausted improvements," inasmuch as being in 

 every sense better as regards soil conditions there would be compar- 

 atively no blanks and no insect attacks. As an experimental com- 

 parison, it may be noted that when planting on grass land it is often 

 essential to have fires when preparing for planting, as when burning 

 old hedges and so forth. The larch plants on the burned patches 

 do infinitely better than those on grass, and never show signs of 

 Chermes. 



(3) In planting ornamental clumps for landscape effect, the best 

 remedy against insects is to trench the ground. Not only do the 



