BRITISH FOREST TREES 79 



weeding and clearing, the individual struggle for predomi- 

 ance begins early and is long continued, especially on the 

 poorer classes of soil, and in it is often dissipated the general 

 energy in growth during the period when that vital energy 

 is at its greatest. 



Where pure forests of Scots pine are desired, sowing 1 

 in mountainous tracts usually takes place broadcast along 

 lines cleared of weeds to a breadth of i to i \ feet and 3 J to 

 4^ feet apart. Where the soil is dry, hard, or covered 

 with a thick layer of incompletely formed or inferior 

 humus, some little soil-preparation is advisable in order 

 to enable the rootlets to penetrate quickly into the 

 ground, so that they may the better withstand drought. 

 Where there is a strong growth of heath, heather or weeds, 

 the area should be burned over before any soil-preparation 

 takes place, but caution must be used to ensure that the fire 

 does not spread into the forests. On level tracts the 

 best soil-preparation can be effected by the plough during 

 autumn, when sowing follows in spring, about 5 to 6 Ibs. 

 per acre being used, and germination assisted by the use of 

 the rake or the harrow. On low-lying tracts where the soil 

 is wet, or in localities with impermeable subsoil of moorpan 

 or ironband, trenching with the subsoil plough is requisite, 

 the seed being sown on the top and sides of the beds or 

 mounds between the trenches. 



Cones were often formerly sown out, but as in cold wet 

 weather the scales did not open to let the seed issue, the 

 results were at times very unsatisfactory. 



Planting. A great impetus was given to planting by the 

 use of one, or at most two-year-old naked seedlings in 

 districts with loose or mild soils, where notching could be 

 carried out. Nursery costs, and the dangers incident to life 

 in a nursery, were thereby reduced to a minimum, packing 

 1 See table on p. 50. 



