391 



tage. In this case a large portion of them may be pulled up 

 without injury to the others ; and if the ground is properly pre- 

 pared, a rnan may transplant as many of them in a day as he 

 could of cabbage plants, and with as sure success. In doing 

 this, with a very little pains, he may have his trees completely 

 in rows, which will add much beauty to his forest, and to his 

 convenience when the wood is cut off." 



Morrill Allen, of Pembroke, Plymouth county, among the 

 farmers in Massachusetts most distinguished for intelligence, 

 practical skill and success, in reply to inquiries as to the best 

 mode of cultivating wood, writes to me : — 



" From limited observation and experience I should recom- 

 mend leaving the land without any culture, where the wood 

 removed was of a kind and age that shoots would be likely to 

 grow from the stumps. It may be true that shoots will grow 

 more vigorously after stirring the soil in preparation for a crop 

 of rye ; but the burning, an operation necessarily preceding, 

 will often be so deep as to prevent the springing of many 

 shoots. 



" Where there is no prospect of a second growth from the 

 stumps, either from the age of the cut timber or the kind of 

 wood, then it will be prudent to burn, plough or harrow, sow 

 rye, and with it such forest seeds as we would choose to have 

 the next growth proceed from. Two advantages may be anti- 

 cipated in this management ; first, wood will grow sooner from 

 seed sown on a pulverized soil than it would from that natu- 

 rally scattered among the rubbish of woodland bottom ; a sec- 

 ond advantage is, where we sow seed, the kinds of wood com- 

 prising the future growth are placed very much within our 

 choice." 



John Welles, to whom I have before referred, whose intelli- 

 gent and strong interest in the agrieultural improvement of the 

 Commonwealth for many years claims for him the grateful re- 

 spect of the farming community, has favored me with the fol- 

 lowing note : 



" As a general principle it is considered by many that after 



