FOR YOUNG TREES. 27 



plough must first be used, in order to open up tlie 

 soil and break the pan. I am not aware that 

 ploughing is advantageous to the growth of forest 

 trees in any other case. I am aware that fir-trees, 

 planted and growing upon land which has been 

 frequently ploughed previousl^^ seldom live long, 

 or attain to any considerable size free from disease, 

 which at once points out that nature wishes no 

 interference of such a kind. Generally speaking, 

 trees for a few years grow faster upon ploughed 

 land than upon the natural undisturbed soil, but do 

 not live nearly so long ; therefore I again beg to 

 recommend that all artificial cultivation of the soil 

 ought to be avoided when healthy timber is an 

 object. 



Third. — Liming, and otherwise manuring of 

 the soil for young trees, has been recommended 

 by some, and disapproved of by others : in my 

 opinion, and I speak from experience, all artificial 

 excitement of a young tree by the application of 

 manure is ultimately injurious to it. I have seen 

 small plantations grown upon the system of trench- 

 ing, liming, and otherwise manuring ; and in such 

 cases I have generally had occasion to observe, 

 that the trees grew rapidly for a few years at 

 first, but, as soon as the exciting influence of the 

 manure had begun to fail, the trees fell into a 

 bad state of health, and seldom attained that con- 

 firmed state of maturity which is the case when 



