FORESTS AND GROVES. 29 



rocks ; fo as to make it difficult or impoflible to fix 

 on, or defcribe, its peculiar form. 



A flat, barren wafte is often appropriated to the 

 rearing of foreft timber ; and fuch are frequently 

 found to be more bleak than the fides of hills of 

 confiderable elevation. In the rearing of trees in 

 moft fituations, flickering of the plants till they 

 get fairly eftablifhed in the foil, is a matter of the 

 very firft importance. Unlefs there be natural 

 fhrubs growing upon the furface, fuch as broom, 

 whins (furze), or hazel, artificial means of pro- 

 ducing a ihelter muft be reforted to ; and we ihall 

 now confider the means to be employed. 



Firft, allow us to premife, that every plain, and 

 moft fields and fituations for planting, in this coun- 

 try, have what may be called a windward fide, 

 which is more expofed to the definitive blaft than 

 any other. It is of very great importance to be 

 apprifed of this circumltance ; and to be able to 

 fix upon the moft expofed fide of the propofed 

 foreft plantation. Fix, then, upon the windward 

 fide of the plain which is to be converted into a 

 foreft ; mark off a horizontal ftripe, or belt, at 

 leaft a hundred yards in breadth. Let this por- 

 tion of ground be planted thick, fay at the dif- 

 tance of thirty inches, or at the moft three feet, 

 with a mixture of larch, fycamore and elder, in 

 equal quantities, or nearly in equal quantities, if 

 the foil be adapted for rearing thefe ; but, if it be 

 3 better 



