74 Practical Forestry 



and branches as in many instances to give them the appear- 

 ance of having been scorched or cut over when in full vigour 

 by an untimely frost. Wind-shaking, although a minor evil, 

 must also be carefully guarded against, so that at the outset 

 it is well to have the trees, except such as are of dwarf 

 size, securely staked and tied, so as to obviate the dire 

 results occasioned to the roots of newly-planted trees 

 when the stems are allowed to rock to and fro with the 

 wind. 



Before commencing planting operations on the sandy 

 and exposed sea-coast, the preliminary step is to erect a 

 barrier of some kind, which will intercept the violence 

 of the wind, and act as a screen or shelter to the young 

 plants. For this purpose various kinds of erections are 

 equally suitable, but that usually adopted, especially 

 where loose sand alone is present, is a strong paling-fence 

 thatched with brushwood. The posts should if possible 

 be 6 ft. above ground and about 12 ft. apart, the paling- 

 rails, two in number, being securely nailed to these at 2 ft. 

 and 5 ft. from the ground ; against this are placed spruce 

 or gorse trimmings, these being 6 ft. long if possible, in an 

 upright manner, and firmly tied to the cross-bars by means 

 of binding wire or strong tarred rope. This may best be 

 described as a dead fence, but it is, nevertheless, quite as 

 valuable for the purpose required as a perfectly develop^ i 

 living hedge. By means of this a great advantage is gained 

 and a favourable start for the newly -planted trees is secured. 

 Then, compared with a stone wall, or, in fact, a wall of any 

 kind, this screen -fence is greatly superior, the wind being 

 broken up in passing through it, and, what is of as much 

 value, also relieved of its saline particles, at least to a very 

 considerable extent. 



Where the shore is almost destitute of sand, and where 

 certain kinds of vegetation subsist, I find it to be a capital 

 plan to substitute for the dead fence just described that 

 composed of turf and earth. 



The raised mound should be not less than 5 ft. in height, 

 and of sufficient width at top to allow of the planting of a 

 double line of such plants as have been found most suitable 



