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 222 BRITISH FOREST TREES 



such as still have brownish bark ; older plants already having 

 a grey or white rind are reckoned somewhat inferior in 

 quality, although under certain circumstances their use can 

 hardly be avoided. Except on sandy or marshy soil, where 

 notching can be practised with success, the seedlings are 

 usually put out with balls of earth attached to the roots, and 

 under any circumstances, mutilation of either the ascending 

 or the descending axis should be avoided as much as 

 possible, for which reason the use of two to three-year-old 

 seedlings with earth attached is advantageous wherever 

 practicable. On moist soils tumping on mounds is the usual 

 method of planting out older seedlings or transplants of three 

 to five feet in height, and in general, care should be taken 

 not to plant too deep. Where birch is to be introduced as 

 a subordinate species in mixed forests, transplants should be 

 reared in nurseries, as the use of the very best class of 

 material is advisable. The most favourable time for plant- 

 ing birch is early in spring, before the buds have swollen 

 much ; but, on account of the early flush of leaves, one is 

 often forced to plant in autumn on marshy soils. Close 

 planting yields the best returns in the thinnings ; seedlings of 

 IT} to 3 feet high should be put out at about 4 feet x 4 feet, and 

 transplants of 3 to 5 feet high about 6 feet x 6 feet. On dry 

 sandy soils planting deep is recommendable as long as small 

 pits are left open above for the catchment of rainfall, so that 

 the root-system is not actually deep or much below the 

 surface of the soil. 



