42 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



advantage of every opportunity, and, in the mean- 

 time, employ his men in some other branch of forestry. 

 He will find it impossible, successfully, to carry out 

 the planting of large areas if he is obliged from time 

 to time to discharge his men ; it is therefore absolutely 

 essential that he should so arrange his forest work 

 that, be the weather what it may, he can always profit- 

 ably employ his staff. If a day, or even half a day, is 

 suitable, he should take advantage of it. 



There should, too, in planting, be no fixed plan with 

 regard to regularity. The soil to be planted should 

 be chosen with regard to season i.e., to secure uni- 

 formity and regularity, soil unfit for planting should 

 not be planted. The future success of the plantation 

 depends so much upon the care and skill exercised at 

 this initial step that we cannot dwell upon it too im- 

 pressively. Each individual tree must be planted 

 with care ; there must be no hurry or undue haste to 

 complete the task. The season must not be forced, 

 and no forester should at the commencement deter- 

 mine where he will finish. He must be satisfied to do 

 what he can in accordance with the strength of his 

 staff and the diversities of the season. It may be well 

 here to mention the importance of employing good 

 men. The forester should, for the actual planting, 

 select his best and most careful men, sending others, 

 not so reliable, forward to dig the holes. Again, he 

 should employ his best man as foreman, and let him 

 be constantly with the planters, not planting himself, 

 but watching carefully each man under his control. 

 He may keep by him some trees, and occasionally, if 

 necessary, replace any ill-formed or badly-rooted tree 



