176 Practical Forestry 



In selecting sites for the various groups, be careful to 

 choose the most open positions, avoiding as much as possible 

 planting immediately under the spread of trees ; and, if 

 practicable, so arrange that in viewing the wood from any 

 point, the eye may not pass along a straight bare unplanted 

 space, but become arrested by the various clumps in passing 

 to the farther side. 



Having arranged the positions of the various clumps, the 

 pits should be opened of a size, and at a distance apart suit- 

 able for the plants intended to be used, taking care that they 

 are sufficiently large to avoid cramping or bending of the 

 roots, which in all cases should be spread out to their full 

 extent. In making the pits, it is well to thoroughly loosen 

 the soil in the bottom and sides with a pick, so as to give 

 the tender rootlets a free course when starting into growth 

 in spring. Should the soil be found of inferior quality, a 

 few loads of leaf mould, road-scrapings or loam from an 

 adjoining field will be found to work wonders in the way 

 of giving the plants a start, and also in producing a strong, 

 healthy growth. Drainage should also have been attended 

 to previous to opening the pits, and all stagnant water or 

 superfluous moisture removed by the formation of open 

 ditches. 



In giving a list of the best evergreen shrubs for covert 

 purposes, I would call attention particularly to the merits 

 of laurel, box, privet, laurustinus, rhododendron, holly 

 and yew, as these have been very extensively used for under- 

 wood, and with the best possible results. As to which of 

 the above shrubs should receive pre-eminence as an orna- 

 mental covert plant I. cannot decide, each having some pecu- 

 liar merit rendering it valuable in its own particular place. 

 We will for the present, however, consider all alike in this 

 respect, and briefly describe the value of each separately, 

 beginning with the laurel. 



The Common and Colchic laurels are amongst our best 

 shrubs for underwood, and should be planted extensively ; 

 they are of free growth, bear cutting and pruning well, and 

 thrive under the shade and drip of other trees. For covert 

 planting the Colchic is perhaps preferable to the normal 



