Of mixed woods 101 



various kinds, we shall often find vigorous Oak, Ash, 

 and Birch seedlings keeping company with the young 

 Pines which had the start of them by a few years. Mice, 

 birds, and other natural agents carry the seed, and instead 

 of cutting out the young and often healthy saplings, it is 

 better to leave them to vary the wood. 



Mixed planting by no means confines us to a fixed 

 rule, but, on the contrary, enables us to take best ad- 

 vantage of the natural variations of soil and aspect. We 

 might, in varied soils, enjoy the effect of one tree, pass- 

 ing gradually into mixed masses of evergreen and hard- 

 wood trees. The trees being of different ages and cut 

 at different times, the wood would never at any time be 

 shorn of its vigorous and constant forest growth. And 

 this plan would be in no way against beautiful planting, 

 as where it is in use there is not only good tree growth 

 from ground valueless for any other purpose, but ex- 

 amples without end of tree grouping as an effective aid 

 to landscape beauty. 



But the good mixed planting is not the muddle mix- 

 ture we too often see ; the plan in no way absolves us 

 from taking care that the trees used are those best fitted 

 for the soil, climate, and elevation. It need not prevent 

 us, where a sharp change of soil and degree of moisture 

 takes place, from planting there only the kind of tree or 

 trees that will thrive therein. 



