Transplanting and Care of Plantation 19 



Where inflammable trees, such as Pines, Cypresses, and Wat- ' 



tie* are planted, the firebreaks will need careful attention each ., 



early Winter for a few years. An additional precaution is to > 



sow a belt of Blackwoods around the area. Blackwood seed may j 



be soaked and sown in the same way as the " Bark " Wattle, and ( 

 will soon make an impenetrable protection.* 



THINNING PLANTATIONS. Trees planted S by S ft., as in tho- j 



case of Gums, or 4 by 4 ft, as in the case of Pines- or Cypresses. \ 



will not, of course, grow into good trees without more room, j 



This room for development is given by a process of thinning out { 



at what is considered the correct time that is, at just the time ; 



when normal development is likely to be checked by want of j 



water or feeding room. In the case of Pines and Cypresses, the- < 



thinning out will depend altogether on the appearance of the , 



trees. In the case of Gums, it will be from 8 ft. by 8 to some i 



larger espa cement. In the earlier days of our South African t 



afforestation work this thinning was done with a sort of mathe- 



matical precision, holding on to the full lines of .growth quite ! 



irrespective of the quality of the trees. This method sacrificed 



many very excellent trees, and also left standing many which .; 



were very third-rate. In actual forest practice it is found th-ir ; 



lines of trees do not grow equally well throughout. There is a ' 



tendency in places for groups of lirst-ciass trees to form, ; 



especially in pockets of extra good soil, and the whole of th* j 



members of the groups would continue to develop well even if , 



left comparatively close together. It has been found best, there- ; 



fore, to thin out on some well-defined basic principle which pre- : 



serves the quality of the trees. This is somewhat difficult tcv '. 

 explain on paper, although quite easy by ocular demonstration. 

 First, the " weedy " trees, with extra thin, or deformed, stems, 



come out. Then note is taken of the canopy level at the top. ! 

 Quite a large number of trees will be noted which do not reach 



the top or average level by a few feet. These do not get their ' 



fair share of sunlight and air, and will, in a year or two, be- ! 



come so dominated by the taller trees that their development : 



stops almost completely. They may as well come out This* 



principle of thinning out the "weedy" trees will continue as ; 

 long as the plantation is growing. Although the regularity of 

 the plantation may be destroyed, the average value of the tree*? 

 left will bo immensely increased. 



All the wood taken out of a plantation in thinning should be i 



saleable as laggings, rails, posts, droppers, &c.. and the sales * 

 should amply pay the cost of the work. 



"' 



*In good afforestation it is considered that the size of a block of trees of one 

 Sh0 " 1(1 not exceorl 20 acres This is to decrease the risk of any disease- 



