48 ENGLISH WOODLANDS 



from the oak. When the land is well suited 

 for oak the young trees start well, grow quickly, 

 and soon close up, and the first reason does not 

 apply. Such land should be planted pure oak. 

 Mixed planting is most useful when the soil 

 is somewhat below, in fertility, what is best 

 suited for oak, and the young oak will probably 

 require protection, and in addition there is a 

 ready sale for larch thinnings. In the absence 

 of such a sale the probability is considerable 

 that the thinnings will be neglected and the 

 larch allowed to smother the oak. Local cir- 

 cumstances can alone show, after careful con- 

 sideration, whether a proposed plantation should 

 be pure oak or oak and larch mixed, or pure 

 larch, or even Scotch fir ; but it will generally 

 be found that the whole wood, or a part of it, 

 can with advantage be treated as a mixed 

 plantation. 



In some cases the advantage which larch 

 derive from mixed planting is an important 

 consideration. Larch in this country is more 

 likely to be free from disease and to grow 

 vigorously to complete maturity if it is sur- 

 rounded by broad-leaved trees. Hitherto larch 

 has been most remunerative when it has been 

 planted pure and felled as a clean-cut at fifty 



