Feb."] THINNING PLANTATIONS. 269 



plants lofe none of their natural ftrength. The 

 above obfervations hold in an efpecial manner in 

 the refmous kinds. Pruning ought therefore to 

 be fufpended, from the end of February till the 

 middle or end of July. 



THINNING PLANTATIONS. 



The Thinning of Plantations may dill be con* 

 tinued : Indeed, excepting for the injury which 

 the living trees may fuftain, by the removal of 

 fuch as are felled out, the Thinning might be con- 

 tinued during the fummer months, as well as at 

 any other period of the feafon. 



This is now the moft proper feafon for thin- 

 ning out mafles of Birch, Black Poplar, Hunting- 

 don Willow, Bedford Willow, and Spanifh Chef- 

 nut ; becaufe they will now part eaiily with the 

 bark, which is to be taken off, and prepared for 

 tan, like oak bark. Throughout the whole of 

 the mixed plantations, the thinning out of the 

 above kinds, ought to be deferred till this time, 

 that the advantages arifmg from the bark may be 

 the more eafily fecured. The method of taking 

 off the bark from the above, is the fame as that 

 for taking off oak bark, which will be found de- 

 fcribed under the article Oak Woods and Copses 

 for May. While, therefore, the thinning out of 



the 



