186 THINNING. 



planted, with the view of thinning out those that did 

 not succeed a practice which, though fast becoming 

 obsolete, is still adhered to by some planters. The 

 plantation, at the time the writer became acquainted 

 with it, had been several times thinned. The stools 

 upon the ground indicated that it had been planted at 

 distances from 3J to 4 feet apart, the hardwoods at 

 9 feet to 1 2 feet apart, and filled in with pine and firs 

 to the former distances. 



The first thinning was performed when between 

 twelve and fifteen years planted, at which age, owing 

 to the sheltered and otherwise favourable situation, 

 the trees were considerably too much drawn up an 

 evil probably little thought of at the time, but the 

 effects of which can never be counteracted. 



In the operation of thinning, the work has always 

 been performed with axes, and in doing so great atten- 

 tion has always been paid to keep the stools low, 

 generally quite level with the surface of the ground, 

 a system which, in thinning young plantations, is 

 highly commendable for neatness and future comfort 

 in travelling through the plantations and clearing the 

 wood. By this means also coppice-wood is almost 

 entirely prevented from springing up after the hard- 

 woods are cut, which in this case was considered 

 desirable. In thinning out the spruces at an early 

 age, some were cut over at from 3 to 4 feet above the 

 ground, which caused them to assume the habit of 

 beautiful shrubs, and form a cover for game which 

 cannot well be surpassed. 



So long as the trees were small, and could be cut 

 and felled by one man in the proper place, axe work 

 was certainly, if not the cheapest, at least the best 

 method of thinning. But from the time the trees are 



