16 THE OAK. 



park, single or in groups, as " effect in ap- 

 pearance would suggest," would be sufficient 

 for its ornament, and any formality in placing 

 them should be carefully avoided. 



I am inclined to think that the growth of 

 hollies raised from the berry would keep in suf- 

 ficient advance to protect the oak raised from 

 the acorn; for both would give proofs, in 

 their respective progress, of the advantage of 

 undisturbed fibres in the one case, and un- 

 broken tap-root in the other. These circumfe- 

 rences should not be too much circumscribed, 

 and might be protected easily by having thorn 

 boughs around them to keep off cattle. This 

 is a tardy, but it is a cheap and simple plan ; 

 and it is the expense of planting which de- 

 ters many landowners from planting. " "Why 

 don't you plant such and such sites or hill- 

 sides on your estate, not producing a shilling 

 a year ? " I have often asked. " Because I 

 can't afford it" is invariably the answer; 

 vr, " I know nothing about the planting or 



