APPENDIX. xliii 



(4) The spacing of plantations. 



The spacing of the transplants will vary in accordance with the 

 rapidity of growth of the species employed. The plants must be set 

 sufficiently close to produce a closed canopy at an early age and to 

 form a fully stocked plantation of well grown trees. The disastrous 

 results of planting at too great intervals are only too obvious 

 throughout Britain. At the same time the costs of formation 

 require that the plants be not set closer than is absolutely neces- 

 sary to produce good results. The planting of larch 6' x 6' has 

 lately been advocated in -Britain to reduce the very excessive cost 

 of formation under present conditions and when it is considered 

 that this method only requires 1,210 plants per acre compared 

 with 2,722 required for planting 4' x 4' the economy is mani- 

 fest. With a fast growing species we consider that a spacing of 

 6' x 6' will give perfectly good results. This is now the distance 

 laid down for teak in Burma. Deodar should be planted 5' x 5'. 

 It is better to set the plants square than in rows where the distance 

 between the rows is 10' or 15', this delays the closing up of the 

 plantation and produces unbalanced trees. 



(6) Tending. 



" It is becoming more and more clearly established that for 

 the conditions generally prevailing in the United Provinces (the 

 iour months of growing season in the rains followed by four 

 months of dry cold weather, and by four months of hot weather) 

 the success or failure of the plantation depends to a very great 

 extent on the conditions of growth during the first year, and 

 more especially during the first four months of the growing season. 

 A seedling that does not develop adequately during the first mon- 

 .30011 has small chance of surviving the following hot weather. 



' Tending of direct sowings and plantations is absolutely vital 

 if failure is not to result. This factor is unquestionably of supreme 

 importance in afforestation, and to its neglect in the past must be 



