50 PLANTING. 



earthing around the necks of the plants in the manner 

 above stated, amounted to 22s. per imperial acre. 



" In the above planting of 20 acres there was 

 scarcely a plant failed ; but if, perchance, a plant was 

 found that had been neglected to be properly earthed, 

 it was either devoured or rendered useless by the 

 beetle. 



"In 1851 we finished the cutting of 2 7 acres of 

 old Scots fir, which was immediately after thoroughly 

 drained. The drains were laid in at 36 feet apart, 

 and 2^ feet deep. The castings from the drains were 

 laid in equal quantities on each side of the drains, for 

 the purpose of securing earth conveniently from them 

 for earthing the young trees during the planting 

 operations. After this plantation was cleared and 

 drained, it was allowed to stand over for a year before 

 it was planted, on purpose to rear up as rank a crop 

 of herbage as possible ; and early in March the her- 

 bage was carefully and effectually burned all over, with 

 the view of destroying the eggs of the beetle. 



" The ground was all planted up immediately (after 

 having been burnt) with strong two - years' trans- 

 planted Scots fir plants, at 4 feet apart, and the 

 plants were all earthed from the castings of the drains. 

 The cost of planting per imperial acre amounted only 

 to 15s. 



" Of all my experiments in planting with young- 

 Scots fir, after previous old Scots fir crops, the 

 above has been the most successful, and above all 

 others is the mode of planting I recommend to other 

 planters. 



" After a crop of Scots fir is cleared away, the 

 whole ground should be effectually drained, if neces- 

 sary, at 36 feet apart, and 2 to 3 feet deep, as may 



