SUCCESSIVE CROPPING WITH SCOTCH FIR. 49 



moorish land, and being thickly studded with Scots 

 fir stools, I was satisfied that Scots fir was the only 

 crop of trees that would grow to profitable timber 

 upon it. At the same time I was much at a loss how 

 to proceed in planting them ; for if pitted, the frost 

 would throw them out in this description of soil ; and 

 if slitted into the ground, the wood-beetle would de- 

 stroy them. How, then, were they to be planted to 

 escape the twofold danger ? 



" The following was the mode of planting I adopted, 

 and which, I am happy to say, has proved the most 

 successful method of any hitherto adopted. 



" The planter, by turning the face of the spade 

 towards him, makes a perpendicular cut down into the 

 ground about a foot long ; he then makes another cut 

 across the centre, holding the spade in the natural 

 way, and placing it 4 inches back from the first 

 cross-cut, the spade is thrust down. 



" The planter then takes the plant in his hand, 

 gathering up the branches, and pressing the handle of 

 the spade towards the ground, he slips the root under- 

 neath the spade, and moving the plant forward, makes 

 it stand erect in the first cross-cut. The ground is 

 then well but carefully trodden down around it ; and 

 lastly, three large spadesful of earth are taken about 

 two feet back from the plant and laid down around its 

 neck, forming a layer of about 15 inches diameter 

 round the plant. This layer of earth must be like- 

 wise firmly trodden down and beaten with the back of 

 the spade to smooth the surface, in order to prevent 

 the beetle lodging about it. 



" Such was the manner in which I planted up this 

 piece of ground. The plants were put in 4 feet apart. 

 The expense of planting this plantation, by slitting and 



D 



