SOWING AND PLANTING IN THE FOREST 65 



however, planted rather densely in order to prevent the 

 development of branches. In a fertile locality plants may 

 be at greater distances than on poor soils or at high elevations, 

 as the trees grow more quickly. Small plants must be planted 

 more densely than large ones, as they take longer to form a 

 thicket. Where the object is to produce small poles, or if 

 small poles can be readily sold, it will usually pay to plant 

 more densely than where only large timber is saleable. 



Of course only a small proportion of the trees planted will 

 come to maturity, but those trees which are crowded out will 

 have done the work required of them, for they will have com- 

 peted with the better trees, and will have helped to force them 

 to grow tall, straight, and free from branches. Moreover, after 

 the twentieth year such trees will be cut out in the thinnings, 

 and will often give a good revenue. Taking all things into 

 consideration, the following distances are the most favourable 

 on average soils where the intention is to grow clean timber 

 of fair size. On very favourable soils the distance may be 

 greater, while on poor soils or at very high elevations it 

 should be rather smaller. 



Spruce, Douglas fir, ash, larch, and Weymouth pine, where 

 plants from i^ to 3 feet high are used, should be planted 4 feet 

 by 4 feet or 2,722 plants per acre. 



Oak, beech, Scotch pine, Corsican pine, and Austrian pine, 

 of the same size, should be 3 feet by 3 feet or 4,840 plants to 

 the acre. 



Where seedlings are used, the distance apart should be 

 2% feet or 2| feet at most. 



Where it is absolutely essential to keep the cost down to 

 the lowest limits, these distances may be slightly increased. 

 Larch, Douglas fir, and ash may be put in at 5 feet or even 

 6 feet apart, and the other species at 4 feet, but 6 feet should 

 ordinarily be the greatest distance apart at which trees should 

 be planted, and this only very exceptionally. 



The number of plants required for a given area, by square 



1209 V 



