THINNING PLANTATIONS. 99 



every tree, and which constitutes the great beauty 

 of lawn trees. 



If it should be intended to rear up a plantation 

 of hard-wood trees principally for the sake of value 

 in timber, and of giving shelter at the same time, 

 then, in such a case, the distance between each in- 

 dividual tree ought to be equal to about one half 

 the height of the same ; and this ought to be kept 

 in view at all stages of the growth of the trees, in 

 order that they may not have so much free air and 

 room as to allow of the spread of their branches 

 horizontally, nor yet to be so much confined as to 

 be drawn up weakly from the want of air. If it 

 should be intended to rear up a plantation of firs 

 or pines, for the sake of shelter and timber, then, 

 in such a case, the distance between each tree ought 

 to be a httle more than the third of the height, 

 which is the distance found most favourable to the 

 useful development of the fir and pine tribes, as 

 timber trees. 



In order to give a clear and practical description 

 of the manner of proceeding with thinning opera- 

 tions in the forest, it will be necessary to treat of 

 them under three distinct heads ; and which I shall 

 do in the proper place — (see under the heads. System 

 of thinning mixed har^d-wood, fir, and oak planta- 

 tions) ; but it may be necessary here to observe, 

 that all plantations, ere they require to be thinned, 

 must have grown for at least eight years, and even 



