HOW TO GROW GOOD TIMBER. 269 



be first cut out, perhaps for hop-poles; next the 

 spruce and Scotch firs for fencing and other purposes ; 

 then the beech and elm as they became useful ; and 

 at last, all the nurses gone, the oak would be suffi- 

 cient to occupy the space, and, though many years 

 have passed in the process, the wood has all the time 

 yielded something towards rent and expenses. 



In planting, of course, the kinds to be planted 

 will depend upon circumstances, and so to a great 

 extent will the methods to be adopted in planting ; 

 it may, however, be here stated that three plans 

 of preparing the soil have been recommended : — 

 1. Trenching; 2. Fitting; and 3. Ploughing. 



1. Trenching is a very expensive process, and, upon 

 the whole, is scarcely worth the cost. It is true that 

 digging and turning over the soil will cause a number 

 of weeds to die, but, on the other hand, it encourages 

 the growth of greater numbers than it destroys, and 

 it is doubtful whether weeding can be done so well 

 in the loosened ground as it could before. Supposing, 

 then, the young trees to be planted in old turf, we 

 consider trenching to be quite unnecessary ; but, as 

 the plants will flourish best when weeds and grass 

 are kept under, we should advise the skinning of the 

 turf round them annually for about three years with 

 a common mattock, and at the same time advantage 

 to be taken of the opportunity to tread in the trees 

 more firmly when they may have become loosened ; 

 to remove any broken or decayed matter, as in the 

 case of conifers, to see to the training of a single 

 leader, rather than two or more ; and in all cases 

 where young conifers show an increasing disposition 

 to grow a great quantity of fruits (cones), we should 



