IMPORTANT LOCAL PLANTING. 83 



and continued until the end of April 1859. The 

 latter month, and also May, proved very dry and 

 scorching, which was very hurtful to the spring- 

 planted trees, but had little or no bad effects upon 

 those planted during the preceding autumn. So 

 visible is this difference of growth, that it can be observed 

 fully a mile distant. The difference of advancement 

 of growth is indeed so great as to indicate a lapse 

 of fully three years between the autumn and spring 

 planted trees ; and what is still further remarkable is, 

 that there were scarcely any deaths of the trees during 

 the season among either autumn or spring planted, 

 neither was there any making up required, and yet the 

 disparity of growth is as above described. One rea- 

 son why the distant appearance is so striking is in 

 consequence of the side where the autumn planting 

 ceased being almost an entire straight line, running at 

 right angles to the slope of the hill, which shows ex- 

 actly where autumn planting was left off and where 

 spring planting began. The trees planted in spring 

 were of the same stock as those planted in autumn 

 the workmen were also the same ; and indeed, save 

 the season of the year, all things affecting the growth 

 of the plants seemed alike. The ground upon which 

 the above disparity of growth took place was sandy 

 moorland, upon which the heather had been burnt 

 three years previous to planting, to induce young 

 herbage to grow up. The comparative bareness of 

 herbage, the dry nature of the soil, and the full 

 southern exposure, all combined in producing the 

 results set forth ; but why corresponding bad effects 

 did not occur with the autumn-planted trees does not 

 clearly appear, but from which circumstances we may 



