Hook II. FORMING PLANTATIONS. 639 



3930. Planting thick, according to Nicol, is the safer side to err on, because a number of plants will fail, 

 and the superfluous ones can be easily removed by thinning. For bleak situations, he observes, from 

 thirty to forty inches is a good medium, varying the distance according to circumstances. For less exposed 

 situations, and where the soil is above six inches in depth, he recommends a distance of from four to five 

 feet For belts, clumps, and strips of a diameter of about one hundred feet ; the margin to be planted 

 about the distance of two feet, and the interior at three feet. In sheltered situations of a deep good soil, 

 he recommends a distance of six feet and no more. [PracL Plant.) 



3931. According to Sang, " the distances at which hard-timber trees ought to be planted are from six to 

 ten feet, according to the quality of the soil, and the exposed or sheltered situation. When the first four 

 oaks are planted, supposing them at right angles, and at nine feet apart, the interstices will fall to be filled 

 up with five nurses, the whole standing at four feet and a half asunder. When sixteen oaks are planted, 

 there will necessarily be thirty-three nurses planted ; and when thirty-six oaks are planted, eighty-five 

 nurses; but when a hundred principal trees are planted in this manner, in a square of ten on the side, 

 there will be two hundred and sixty-one nurse-plants required. The English acre would require five hun- 

 dred and thirty-six oaks, and one thousand six hundred and ten nurses." {Plant. Kal. 163.) Pontey 

 says, " in general cases, a distance of four feet is certainly close enough ; as at that space the trees may 

 all remain till they become saleable as rails, spars," &c. 



3932. The number of plants which may be planted on a statute acre =160 rods, or poles, 

 = 4840 yards = 43560 feet, is as follows : — 



Feet apart. No. of Plants. 



1 43,560 



If 19,360 



2 10,890 



Oi 



-» 



3 



34 



4 



f 



Feet apart No. of Plants. 



6 1,210 



7 8S9 



8 680 



537 

 435 

 360 



30-2 

 257 

 ooo 



Feet apart No. of Plants. 



15 193 



16 170 



17 150 



18 134 



19 120 



20 log 



25 69 



30 48 



3933. The size of the plants depends jointly on the site and the kind of tree ; it is 

 universally allowed that none of the resinous tribe succeed well when removed at more 

 than two years' growth ; but if the soil is of tolerable quality, prepared by digging or sum - 

 mer pitting, and the site not bleak, plants of such hard woods as stole may be used whose 

 stems are an inch or more in diameter. 



3934. Nicol is of opinion, " That, generally, trees three, or at most four, years old from the seed, and 

 which are from twelve to twenty-four inches high, will, in any situation or soil, outgrow those of any size 

 under eight or ten feet, within the seventh year." (Pract. Plant. 130.) 



3935. Sang observes, " the size of plants for exclusive plantations must, in some measure, depend on 

 their kinds ; but it may be said, generally, that the plants being transplanted, they should be from a foot 

 to eighteen inches in height, stiff in the stem and well rooted. Plants for this purpose should seldom be 

 more than three years from the seed ; indeed never, if they have been raised in good soil. Many of them 

 may be sufficiently large at two years from the seed ; and, if so, are to be preferred to those of a greater 

 age, as they will consequently be more vigorous and healthy. The larch, if properly treated, will be very 

 fit for planting out at two years of age A healthy seedling being removed from the seed-bed at the end 

 of the first year, into good ground, will, by the end of the second, be a fitter plant for the forest, than one 

 nursed a second year. The next best plant for the purpose is that which has stood two years in the seed, 

 bed, and has been transplanted for one season. This is supposing it to have risen a weakly plant ; for, if 

 the larch rise strong from the seed the first season, it should never stand a second in the seed-bed. The 

 ash, the elm, and the sycamore, one year from the seed, nursed in good soil for a second season, will often 

 prove sufficiently strong plants. If they be weakly, they may stand two years in the seed-bed ; and then, 

 being nursed one season in good soil, will be very fit for planting out in the forest. The oak, the beech, 

 and the chestnut, if raised in rich soil, and well furnished with roots at the end of the first year, and having 

 been nursed in rows for two years, will be very fit to be planted out : but if they be allowed to stand two 

 years in the seed-bed, and be planted one year in good ground, they will be still better, and the roots will 

 be found well feathered with fine small fibres. The silver fir and common spruce should stand two years 

 in the seed-bed. If transplanted into very good soil, they may be fit for being planted out at the end of 

 the first year ; but, more generally, they require two years in the lines. The Scots pine should also stand 

 for two years in the seed. bed, and should be nursed in good ground for one year; at the end of which 

 they will be much fitter for being planted, than if they were allowed to stand a second year in the lines. 

 They are very generally taken at once from the seed-bed ; and, in land bare of heath or herbage, they 

 succeed pretty well ; nevertheless, we would prefer them one year nursed. The above are the hardy and 

 most useful forest trees ; and from the observations made, whatever respects the age or size of other kinds 

 may easily be inferred." (Plant. Kal. 158.) 



3936. According to Pontey, " the best general rule is, to proportion the size of the plants to the good- 

 ness of the soil ; the best of the latter requiring the largest of the former. Still, on bleak exposures, this 

 rule will not hold good, as there the plants should never be large, for otherwise the greater part would fail 

 from the circumstance of wind-waving, and, of those that succeeded, few, if any, would make much pro- 

 gress for several years ; pines and firs of a foot, and deciduous trees of eighteen inches, are large enough 

 for such places. As in extensive planting, soils which are good and well sheltered but seldom occur, the 

 most useful sizes of plants, for general purposes, will be pines and firs of a foot, and deciduous trees of 

 eighteen inches, both transplanted. None but good-rooted plants will succeed on a bad soil, while on a 

 good one, sheltered, none but very bad-rooted plants will fail. A large plant never has so good a root, in 

 proportion to its size, as a small one ; and hence we see the propriety of using such on good soils only. 

 Small plants lose but few of their roots in removal ; therefore, though planted in very moderate-sized 

 holes of pulverised earth, they soon find the means of making roots, in proportion to their heads. It 

 should never be forgotten, that, in being removed, a plant of two feet loses a greater proportion of its roots 

 than a tree of one, and one of three feet a greater proportion than one of two, and so on, in proportion to 

 its former strength and height ; and thus, the larger the plants, so much greater is the degree of languor 

 or weakness into which they are thrown by the operation of transplanting." {Prof. Plant. 161.) 



3937. The seasons for 2}lanting are autumn and spring : the former, when the soil and 

 situation are moderately good, and the plants large ; and the latter, for bleak situations. 

 Necessity, however, is more frequently the guide here than choice, and in extensive 

 designs the operation is generally performed in all moderately dry open weather from 

 October to April inclusive. " In an extensive plantation," Sang observes, " it will 

 hardly happen but there will be a variety of soil, some parts moist and heavy, and others 

 dry and light. The lightest parts may be planted in December or January ; and the 



