Mountain and hill and down planting 121 



sunny hills. Planting down country is one of the most 

 interesting questions a planter can face. 



In ordinary soils the haphazard planting one sees 

 everywhere may take well, though the final result may 

 be anything but what we seek in forestry. The same 

 kind of planting on the downs must fail. In down 

 planting the trees must be those that put up with the 

 conditions ; and here foreign trees come to our aid. 

 One such tree alone is a great gain for the down, and 

 that is the Austrian Pine, which in its wild state inhabits 

 a very chalky tract of country in Lower Austria. In our 

 country it is a precious tree for such situations and might 

 be planted alternately with Larch. It is a great soil- 

 maker and would improve the soil of much of the down 

 country. I would also trust the Corsican Pine, but on 

 the best ground, and the Cedars of Lebanon and Atlas 

 might also have a place with trees that can grow in 

 calcareous soil. They are certainly worthy of a trial 

 planted young and treated as forest trees. 



While the colossal trees of the Pacific coast are those 

 that love and must have a sandy loam and fertile soil 

 to thrive in, other Pines, like the ones previously men- 

 tioned, will thrive on chalky soils. Most notable of all, 

 perhaps, is our native Yew, the plumes of which we 

 see on many a Kentish down, often struggling with 

 most adverse conditions and making excellent covert 

 and shelter. 



The Numidian Fir tolerates a chalky soil and is a 

 hardier tree than the Crimean Fir. The White Oriental 

 Spruce is a graceful tree that will succeed well, and 

 I think also the Rocky Mountain Spruce {P. Parryana). 

 With the Corsican and Austrian Pines might also be 

 tried the Pyrenean and the Calabrian. The beautiful 



