65 



Then, too, it is not everybody's business to ac- 

 knowledge openly to faults committed and recog- 

 nised in the treatment of some particular species, 

 and the consequence is that statements as to 

 failure find speedier and more permament pub- 

 licity than those referring to successful achieve- 

 ments. The cause of poor growth is, for 

 instance, very often attributed to frost without 

 any reference as to late frost, early frost, winter 

 frost, needle shedding due to frost, or unfavourable 

 temperature during the period of vegetation being 

 in fault, so that other experimenters have not got 

 the chance of adopting suitable sylvicultural 

 measures, or to give an opinion as to the adap- 

 tability of the timber being grown. 



2. The knowledge of the sylvicultural qualities 

 was acquired in Germany chiefly in exposed 

 areas, consequently under the most unfavourable 

 conditions as regards growth. In areas of this 

 kind there is a combination of dangers acting 

 against the plant (such as heat, cold, drought, 

 animals, weeds, and men), so that it is impossible 

 to spot the particular cause or combination of 

 plants or animals to which the exotic tree is 

 exposed. 



3. In most cases the exotics were given un- 

 favourable soil, on the assumption that their 

 pretensions must be more modest in order to 

 possess a justification for their cultivation. For 



