TREES AND SHRUBS: 159 



grounds, "vvithout any regard to the adaptation of the soil to its 

 growth. Ill the matter of sowing seeds, we must follow Nature 

 as closely as possible, and get the seeds when they are in a right 

 condition to sow. 



The oak and chestnut ripen in the autumn when the frosts 

 bring their fruit to the ground. The pitch-pine ripens any time 

 during the winter, the white-pine in August : the yellow and 

 black birch in July ; the elm and niaple in June, and the sugar 

 maple in August and September. 



A great cause of failure, is want of knowledge in saving the 

 seed and also in covering it too deep, or planting tender trees 

 where they will be exposed to a burning sun. Nearly all trees 

 will fail to thrive if planted in exposed or bleak situations. 

 They should be put where they will be shaded or sheltered by 

 thick planting. With reference to white pines, it is found to be 

 better, being more certain and satisfactory, to transplant than to 

 sow the seed. The trees should be removed early in June, or 

 when the new growth is about one-half to an inch in length, and 

 the trees about one foot high. 



In conclusion, we earnestly recommend our Plymouth County 

 farmers to abandon the practice of endeavoring to raise crops of 

 grain and grass on barren plains, where scarcely any returns are 

 yielded. Convert such land into pine plantations, for it is just 

 the soil they thrive best upon, and you will soon enhance the 

 value of your farms, and leave a rich inheritance to your chil- 

 dren. 



The committee respectfully suggest that one thousand trees 

 are, in their opinion, too many to grow profitably on an acre of 

 land, especially of the white pine. They recommend the stand- 

 ard should be lowered to eight hundred trees, thereby giving 

 the distance apart each way about seven feet. 



JMartin Bryant, Chairman. 



Statement of Philip Brewster, of Hanson. 



The lot of forest trees, on whicli I claim the society's 

 premium, contains about twelve acres. I commenced ])lant- 

 ing white pine seed in the year 1850 ; not being very suc- 

 cessful, I abandoned it, and commenced transplanting in the 



