104 TREE-PLANTING. 



of May. A dry and sandy soil well pulverised, but 

 one which will not harden on its surface through the 

 alternate operation of rain and drought, is the best in 

 which to plant the seed. When well dug and smoothly 

 raked, beds should be formed four feet wide, and the 

 soil removed from the top, which is usually raked into 

 alleys formed between the beds for the purpose, which 

 is afterwards replaced to cover the seeds. One pound 

 of good seed is generally thought sufficient for sowing 

 a bed a dozen yards long, of the width mentioned, 

 which should be covered with a quarter or half an inch 

 of soil, the less quantity if the soil is somewhat heavy ? 

 and the larger if it is quite light and sandy. Care 

 should be taken to protect the springing plants from 

 the ravages of birds, which are very destructive to 

 them. They stand in these seed-beds for two years, 

 and need no attention beyond keeping the ground 

 clear of weeds. At the end of two years the seedlings 

 are fit to be planted out into moorland or heath. 

 The stems of the heath are a sufficient protection for 

 the young plants, while open enough to prevent them 

 dropping off through confinement. 



If however the plants are needed to stand in a 

 situation where they will have to contend with a rank 

 surface vegetation, or any other kind of herbage than 

 heath, they will require to be transplanted from the 

 seed-beds into nursery lines, about nine inches asunder, 

 the plants three inches apart from one another, if 

 intended to stand for one year only ; but twice that 

 distance for two years, which is the longest limit at 

 which the Scotch pine ought to be removed. If a 

 bare, barren, exposed situation, such as a hilltop, 

 is desired to be covered with a plantation, Scotch 



