233 



CHAPTER III. 



PROTECTION AGAINST WEEDS, EPIPHYTES, AND FUNGUS DISEASES. 



WEEDS include not only grasses, bracken, brambles, and many 

 other plants that spring up in large numbers wherever there is 

 sufficient light and moisture and the more luxuriantly the 

 better the soil is, but also Birch, Aspen, Willows, and other 

 trees not desired among, or interfering with, the growth of the 

 young timber-crops. The thicker the growth of weeds, the 

 more they are likely to harbour mice and voles ; and the 

 stronger their growth, the more they are likely to outgrow 

 and overshadow young plants, and to overlie and smother them 

 in autumn. Hence the necessity for weeding in young planta- 

 tions for the first two and often three years (see page 75), 

 and for afterwards cutting out quick-growing softwoods or 

 Conifers that have been planted as temporary nurses to protect 

 more valuable but less hardy kinds of young trees against frost 

 and drought. So long as the leading-shoots of the young trees 

 forming the crop are above the weeds, no damage can result, 

 and a soil-covering of heather, &c., may then be beneficial by 

 giving protection against frost, scorching, wind, blackcock, and 

 even rabbits if not numerous ; and this is gradually killed as 

 the young crop closes laterally and forms canopy. If the weeds 

 can be beaten back so as to clear the lines of plants, this is best, 

 especially in the case of brambles, which throw out strong 



