12 



middle and fine yearly rings near the bark. Cut 

 across a log of timber that has been grown in 

 dense forest when young, and you will see it of 

 more even texture throughout. 



(8) Early formation of the rich forest soil. 



(9) The successive thinnings leave the mature forest 



formed of the finest " picked " trees only ; thus, 

 imitating nature, where the mature forest is 

 formed of the tallest and strongest stems, the 

 survival of the fittest. 



Trees that are certain to grow up rapidly, and close soon, 

 may be planted further than 1 yard apart. Most trees, 

 except Pines, on fair soil and where the weeds are not 

 very, troublesome, do well at the following distances : 

 4 ft. x 4 ft. ; 4 ft. x 5 ft. ; and even 5 ft. x 5 ft. Blue- 

 gum usually the fastest grower of all our trees on good 

 soil, succeeds at 2 yards apart, but this is about the outside 

 limit for any trees in Cape Colony. Others, such as 

 Jerusalem Pines and Eostrata Gums, do better if planted 

 rather under a yard. The quickest growing Pines 

 Clusler and Insignis should not be planted further than 

 4 ft. apart. In tropical countries, planting 3 yards apart 

 will often give good results. 



The number of trees per acre for any distance apart can 

 be readily calculated, remembering that the side of the acre 

 is 208-71 ft., say 209 ft. 



The following are the exact figures : 



3 x 3 ft. apart gives 4,840 trees per acre. 

 3x 4,, 3,629 

 3x5,, 2,904 ,, 

 4x 4,, 2,722 

 4x 5,, 2,178 



4 x 6 ?> j) 1,^15 

 5x5,, ,, 1,742 ,, ,, ,, 

 5x 6,, 3,459 

 6x6,, 1,210 

 7x7,, 889 ,, 

 8x8,, 680 ,, ,, 

 9x9,, 538 



20x10,, 218 



