SEA COAST PLANTING 77 



feet wide, and are, of course, more efficient if planted some 

 years before the rest of the land. And they should always 

 be heavily thinned so as to encourage the formation of bushy 

 trees. Their efficiency is increased if evergreen shade-bear- 

 ing bushes are also planted. 



Very few trees will thrive if subjected to gales and the 

 salt spray of sea-water. The best trees to plant in such 

 localities are the Austrian Pine, Maritime Pine (P. pinaster), 

 Bank's Pine (P. Banksiana), Corsican Pine, Cupressus macro- 

 carpa, and (probably) the White Spruce (Picea alba). 



Whereas, if conditions are a little more favourable, and 

 also of course depending on the soil, the following trees may 

 succeed : Sycamore, Norway Maple, White Poplar, Ever- 

 green Oak, Turkey Oak, and Pinus insignis. 



And again, there are several shrubs which will stand 

 sea-spray and exposure, the best being Sea Buckthorn 

 (Hippopkcs rhamnoides), Escallonia, Tamarisk, Euonymus, 

 Gorse, and Privet. 



The susceptibility of various trees to late spring and early 

 autumn frosts has already been referred to. 1 But it should 

 be noted that there is often a distinct " frost-line," in many 

 cases only a few feet from the ground, and that, when once 

 tender trees are above this line, they will usually continue to 

 grow without further injury. Now, as late frosts do not 

 always occur every year, a quick-growing species, though 

 tender, may sometimes succeed in a frost locality ; and some- 

 times big trees are planted in such a locality in order that 

 they may quickly grow above the frost-line. But, in any 

 known frost locality, or where experience would lead one to 

 anticipate these frosts, only frost-hardy trees should ever be 

 planted. Such trees are Birch, Corsican Pine, Austrian 

 Pine, Scots Pine, White Poplar, Aspen Poplar, and Sitka 

 Cypress. 



Furthermore, it should be remembered that trees which 

 have not recovered from the shock of planting are far more 

 susceptible to damage than trees which are well-established 

 and vigorous. 



1 Vide Chapter III. 



