LAYERING 201 



and removed in time to plant during the current spring, but 

 every effort should be made to enable the planting to take 

 place as it is most important not to lose a year's growth. 



(2) Layering or Plashing. This is a favourite means of 

 increasing the growing stock of stools of Ash and of Spanish 

 Chestnut ; it has been largely practised in Sussex and Kent. 



To effect this end, long stool shoots, not more than 2\ 

 inches in diameter at the base are cut partly through close 

 to the ground, bent over and pegged down at one or more 

 points near where the soil has been bared, and then covered 

 at these places with a small mound of earth. Longitudinal 

 slits may be made in the bark to encourage the formation 

 of roots. This layering should be done as early as possible 

 and before the stools begin to flush their latent buds. 



It will usually be best to effect this layering during the 

 autumn, when the underwood is cut, though often it is done 

 about 6 years afterwards in places where the coppice appears 

 unduly thin. 



The cost of thus layering stool shoots will be about 

 3s. 6d. per 100 " mounds." Hence it is very much cheaper 

 than planting ; but protection from rabbits cannot very well 

 be given. 



Other details of management l include cleaning ditches, 

 hedging, repairs to gates and dead fences, trimming and 

 brushing rides, etc. 



Wherever coppice is grown, whether as simple coppice 

 or otherwise, it will always be advisable to avoid having it 

 mixed in a promiscuous manner. 



Oak, if grown, will usually be for its bark, and should 

 always be so grown quite pure. Hazel is only suited to a 

 very short rotation, and is therefore quite unsuited for being 

 mixed with other species. 



Spanish Chestnut and Ash may be grown together and 

 usually afford the most remunerative kind of underwood that 

 can be grown. But the local markets must be studied, and 

 buyers for a local industry involving the use of a particular 

 species will give a relatively greater price for pure under- 

 1 The laying- out and selling of coppice is dealt with in Chapter XIV. 



