26 PREPARING OF GROUND 



a second crop of wood upon the same piece of 

 ground, is to change the crop — for this is always 

 done when nature is left to herself. Therefore, in 

 conclusion, upon the head of trenching, I have to 

 say, that it must be, and has indeed been found to 

 be, an unnecessary operation. I could, from my 

 own experience, point out many instances where it 

 has done more harm than good to young trees ; 

 therefore it is that I cannot approve of it. All 

 that is necessary, in order to grow trees upon any 

 soil, is to dram ; and if a crop of wood have been 

 upon the same soil formerly, and is but newly 

 cleared off, change the species of tree for a crop, 

 and success will be the ultimate result. 



Second. — The ploughing of land has been much 

 recommended as a preparation of the ground for 

 young forest trees. In my opinion, where the soil 

 is naturally good, there is no necessity for the 

 ploughing of it previous to its being planted ; but 

 where the upper stratum of soil is naturally poor 

 and thin, with moorbond-pan under, a deep 

 ploughing is absolutely necessary in order to 

 break the pan and mix a portion of the subsoil 

 with the upper. The fact is, that a soil of the 

 nature of moorbond-pan is naturally unfit for the 

 growing of forest trees ; but wliere the proprietor 

 of such a soil, in the general arrangement of liis 

 improvements upon his estate, may wish to plant 

 such a piece of ground with forest trees, the trench- 



