RE-PLANTING FORESTS LIME-STONE FORMATION. 209 



by " sowing " the last-named trees in the rows protected 

 by the pines; but in general, planting is here also more 

 safe. Planting is easily done by removing the moss from 

 the friable soil and using the short-handled planting axe. 

 If the soil of the plantation is so poor as to foretell, 

 under all circumstances, a failure in producing foliaged 

 trees, the interjacent rows should be planted with other 

 coniferous trees, especially with spruces, to which 

 should be given a wider position towards each other than 

 is usual with young deciduous trees, viz. : a width of 

 from six to eight feet. 



CHAPTER VI. 



RE-PLANTING FORESTS ON MOUNTAINS OF THE LIME- 

 STONE FORMATION. 



NOWHERE is shown the effect of forest-trees upon the 

 soil more convincingly than in the mountains of the 

 limestone formation. The power of the limey or calca- 

 reous soil, and its adaptability to promote the growth 

 of forest-trees, are very great and can be enormously 

 increased by uninterruptedly keeping the surface cov- 

 ered with trees. On the other hand, there is no ground 

 quicker deteriorated by being exposed to the sun and 

 weather than the limestone soil. If the ground on the 

 calcareous mountains has been once completely denuded 

 from forest vegetation, there is seldom any hope to stop 

 its progressing sterility. For, on such soil, every moist- 

 ure received from the air will, owing to the peculiar- 

 ity of the ground, evaporate much quicker than on any 

 other soil, and the balance of the water will run without 

 any hope of being returned into the depth of the lime- 



