244 THE DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH FORESTRY 



deteriorating process so productive of failure and disap- 

 pointment when carried long distances by rail, one of the 

 most frequent causes of failure would disappear. The 

 choice of trees to a man unfamiliar with even the common 

 species of field and hedgerows can become so perplexing a 

 process as to prohibit or retard many men from attempting 

 planting. With the trees brought to the planter's hold- 

 ing, and the choice, or at any rate the number of species 

 limited to those suited to the soil of the localit}'', two of 

 the most important difficulties are removed, and the 

 expenses of planting reduced to a minimum. 



How many of these depots would be required in a 

 county would greatly depend upon circumstances, but at 

 the most from five to ten would be ample in the largest, 

 provided proper means of distribution were adopted. 

 Their management would be placed under the instructors, 

 who would quickly be in a position to estimate the most 

 suitable number and size required to meet the particular 

 needs of each district. 



The stocking of these depots could be carried out by 

 obtaining trees from public nurseries, the chief difference 

 being that, instead of planting them out direct, with all 

 the attending disadvantages, they would stand in the local 

 nurseries for one, two, or three years, according to the 

 species and other circumstances. They would be selected 

 and purchased by the instructors, who would overlook the 

 whole business from start to finish, so far as this would be 

 necessary. 



Objections to the above scheme might be made in 

 many directions, the chief being, perhaps, that private 

 enterprise would be interfered with, and the possible loss 

 involved in growing trees which might not be sold. As the 

 trees would be purchased from public nurseries to begin 

 with, there cannot be much risk of trouble in the former 

 way. As regards loss, it is unlikely that the sale of trees 



