61 6 Cultivation of Grafs Land. Pruning and thinning of Timber-Trees. 



be attempted in mofl fituations. But in performing the bufinefs, the nature of 

 the land, the fort of hufbandry that it is principally conducted under, and the 

 kind of cxpofure in which it is placed, fhould be well confidered, and the fort of 

 trees properly adapted to it. In dry foils, mod forts of timber trees, as has been 

 feen, may be planted ; but in thofl*more ftiff and heavy kinds, the oak and the elm 

 may be the moft proper. The am fhould, perhaps, never be had recourfe to where 

 the land is almoft wholly under the plough ; but on lands under the grazing or 

 grafs fyftem, it may be planted with advantage. In bleak and expofed fituations, 

 the beech is probably the belt for this ufe; and near the fea the fycamore. The 

 trees where the ground is moftly in an arable ftate ihould be planted at much 

 greater diftances than under the contrary circumftances, and fuch trees as run moft 

 to tail clear Hems be preferred. 



The young trees for this fort of planting fhould be larger than in other cafes, be 

 ing kept in the nurfery two years longer than has been advifed above, and fhifted 

 fo as to produce more fibrous roots. When about five or fix feet in height they 

 are probably in the moft fuitable condition for being removed into thefe fituations. 



The moft proper time of planting in hedge-rows is when the fields are firft 

 broken up from the ftate of lay, as at that time, from their being continued in the 

 ftate of tillage for fome years, there will be lefs trouble and expenfe in protecting 

 them from cattle by palings, &.c. as well as lefs danger of their being injured by 

 the browfing of live ftock, as they will be advanced beyond their reach by the 

 time the land is reftored to grafs. Where the planting is performed in the hedge 

 rows of grafs lands, the trees muft always be perfectly fecured from the croppings 

 of cattle, as well as the rubbing of fheep, or other animals, as, where this is not 

 the cafe, they arefoon deftroyed. 



The planting in thefe cafes fhould always be carefully performed in the manner 

 that has been already defcribed; and where the trees do not fland perfectly firm 

 againft the wind, they fhould be well fecured by ftakes, or other proper means, as 

 they never thrive well when not perfectly faft. 



The barbarous practice, too frequently made ufe of in different diftricts, of con 

 verting the hedge-row timber-trees into pollards by lopping off their top branch 

 es, fhould in all cafes be guarded againft as much as poflible, as it is the deftruc- 

 tion of timber. Where pollards abound, they are moftly cropped once in from 

 about nine to fifteen years, the profit of which moftly belongs to the tenant. This 

 work fhould be conftantly ftnifhed by the end of February. 



