MARKING FOR THINNING. 139 



correctly indicated by the state and condition of its 

 foliage ; and at no season of the year is this so per- 

 fectly seen as when it is in full leaf and before it as- 

 sumes its natural autumnal tints. All important and 

 minute inspections as to health and condition of woods, 

 forests, plantations, and individual trees should there- 

 fore be made in the summer season, in preference to 

 any other. During the months of July and August I 

 usually examine all the plantations and ornamental 

 trees under my charge, but specially the young ones, 

 in order to form a correct opinion of their condition 

 of health, state of growth, form, and habit. The re- 

 quirements of thinning, now that the trees are fully 

 clothed, are much more easily seen than in winter, 

 when they are naked; therefore full advantage 

 should be taken of marking all trees necessary to be 

 cut during the ensuing winter and spring. While I 

 recommend this 'as the best time for marking and 

 judging of the health of both plantations and individual 

 forest-trees, I consider it, at the same time, to be the 

 worst time of the year for cutting, unless for the 

 express purpose of benefiting the remaining crop, or 

 doing the first thinning, when no regard is paid to the 

 trees cut beyond inducing them to decay and disap- 

 pear as fast as possible, which they speedily now do 

 if laid flat down upon the ground, that grass and other 

 herbage may grow over them. 



The distance at which the trees were originally 

 planted, rapidity of growth, exposure, &c., all contribute 

 in determining the period at which thinning should 

 commence ; and assuming that the trees were planted 

 3 J feet apart a common distance in small plantations 

 and shelter belts, consisting of Scots pine, larch, and 

 spruce, and grown at an average rate I provide my- 



