18 ENGLISH WOODLANDS 



at 8 J feet apart, only 600 trees per acre are 

 required ; and as each tree would have ample 

 growing space, it might be reasonably hoped 

 that there would be increased health and power 

 of resistance to wind. The answer is that very 

 wide-planting has dangers as great as very close- 

 planting. Trees planted as far apart as 8 or 

 9 feet would probably develop strong side- 

 boughs before they closed together and the 

 struggle for existence began, and whenever a 

 tree died or was removed because it was crooked, 

 there would be a serious gap. In such a planta- 

 tion the density of crop necessary to secure 

 vigorous upward growth and freedom from knots 

 would probably be postponed until it was too 

 late. 



The best time for planting on ordinary soil 

 is the end of November, after the fall of the 

 leaf and before the ground has been chilled by 

 the winter. On very wet soils planting is best 

 done in late spring. Where the planting is 

 extensive the work is necessarily, almost always, 

 carried on continuously throughout the winter 

 months, whenever the weather is open. During 

 frost or heavy rain the planting must be stopped. 

 It is absolutely necessary to protect from frost 

 or drying winds the plants in the interval be- 



