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On very cold exposures, where nothing 

 but Firs will grow, the means of shelter- 

 ing plantations, by keeping down part of 

 the plants, would be particularly service- 

 able. Where spruce firs will thrive, they 

 are excellent for the purpose, being very 

 easily kept down as bushes ; indeed, where 

 much wind prevails, they are usually far 

 behind the Scotch in growth. Where 

 there is no Spruce, the current of the wind 

 may be broken, by keeping a quantity of 

 the Scotch Firs short, taking oft' their 

 leaders from time to time, within the 

 plantation, more particularly the exposed 

 sides; and likewise doing the same to 

 every third or fourth plant, on such sides, 

 and never pruning the other front trees at 

 all, except taking oft* the dead branches. 



The trouble of doing this business 

 would be trifling ; a common labourer, 

 employed a week every second year, 

 might preserve the shelter of twenty acres, 

 for many years ; — his only tool, a light 



