218 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
which should be used first. I wanted to clear 
out much of the useless underbrush, but we had 
only time to make a beginning in this effort at 
forestry. We went over perhaps ten acres across 
the north line, removing briers and brush. Every- 
thing that looked like a possible future tree was 
left. Around oak and hickory stumps we found 
clumps of bushes springing from living roots. 
These we cut away, except one or possibly two 
of the most thrifty. We trimmed off the lower 
branches of those we saved, and left them to 
make such trees as they could. I have been 
amazed to see what a growth an oak-root sprout 
will make after its neighbors have been cut 
away. There are some hundreds of these trees 
in the forest at Four Oaks, from five to six inches 
in diameter, which did not measure more than 
one or two inches five years ago. 
As the underbrush was cleared from the wood 
lot, I planned to set young trees to fill vacant 
spaces. The European larch was used in the 
first experiment. In the spring of 1897 I bought 
four thousand seedling larches for $80, planted 
them in nursery rows in the orchard, cultivated 
them for two years, and then transplanted them 
to the forest. The larch is hardy and grows 
rapidly ; and as it is a valuable tree for many 
purposes, it is one of the best for forest planting. 
I have planted no others thus far at Four Oaks, 
as the four thousand from my little nursery 
seem to fill all unoccupied spaces, 
Sas rc es 
Se le ee 
