108 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



rain frequently passes off after a light fall, the wind 

 returns to its old quarters, and the cultivator's hopes are 

 blighted once more. This type of weather often continues 

 until the middle or end of June, and in such seasons the 

 forester's charges have to run the gauntlet of many insect 

 pests which glory in adding to his discomfiture. To 

 recently planted crops, such seasons work untold havoc, 

 especially on dry gravels or stiff' clays, young trees on 

 either being incapable of withstanding drought for any 

 length of time. It is a sad sight to see plants which have 

 pushed out a few dwarf leaves stand practically still for 

 a week or two, and then gradually wither up as the 

 moisture in the ground decreases, and the few roots which 

 they have sent out earlier in the season give up the 

 attempt to extract moisture from the soil, to replace 

 the loss caused by wind and sun aboveground. 



Many forest trees, such as larch, ash, and beech, are 

 most easily affected by weather of this kind, the first 

 named being more dependent upon soil moisture than 

 most trees. The effect of May drought upon established 

 trees, however, is seldom so great as that of night frosts, 

 which often exceed 8" or 10 F. on the grass in low-lying 

 places. As regards this feature of May or June, however, 

 the British Isles are probably neither better nor worse 

 than many other parts of Europe, and the ultimate effect 

 of spring frosts, apart from the destruction of flower buds 

 and the loss of the fruit crop, is very slight with most 

 species. Although the young growths of oak, ash, beech, 

 and other trees may be blackened and shrivelled in a 

 single night, a month of genial weather is usually sufficient 

 to obliterate the damage to all intents and purposes, 

 although double leaders on the ash may perpetuate the 

 damage to that species. Beech recovers more slowly, 

 while amongst conifers spring frost will cause silver fir 

 to stand still for the remainder of the season, and when 



