78 TREE-PLANTING. 



an inch in heavy soil, and one inch in light land, and 

 allowed to remain in this rough condition till April 

 comes round, when the surface of the beds should be 

 raked, and made smooth and equal. The object of 

 this method of proceeding is to expose the covering 

 to the pulverising influences of the winter's frost. The 

 seeds of weeds will have vegetated, which can be 

 removed in the process of raking, and the surface of 

 the soil will be made soft, through which the young 

 oaks can force their way early in May. 



Being at this period of their infant growth very 

 tender, as they are sometimes injured by late frosts, 

 a slight covering of evergreens, leaves, or any light 

 covering, is found a useful protection till May is past. 

 After that, all that is wanted is to keep the beds clear 

 of weeds. 



The seedling plants are removed into nursery 

 lines sometimes at one year old, but more commonly 

 at two years of age, during the winter or spring. The 

 ends of their tap-roots should be cut off, and they 

 should be placed in lines sixteen or eighteen inches 

 asunder, and the plants six inches apart. In lifting 

 them from the seed-bed, care should be taken not to 

 injure or break off the lateral fibres of the roots 

 breaking off the end of the tap-root is of no con- 

 sequence. After standing two years in the nursery 

 lines they will generally attain two or three feet high, 

 when they are fit to be placed out and become 

 denizens of the forest. The rule however I have 

 laid down before must be observed, if larger plants 

 are required, of transplanting into a wider space, 

 where they may remain two or three years longer, 

 according to the circumstances of their growth and 



