FIR PLANTATIONS. 133 



In thinning a plantation, many foresters think 

 that the principal object to be aimed at, is that of 

 giving the whole a regular systematic appearance, 

 by leaving the trees as nearly as possible at a 

 given distance one from another, without taking 

 into consideration the ultimate welfare of the plan- 

 tation. Such a method of conducting thinning ope- 

 rations may, indeed, have the effect of pleasing the 

 eye and taste of the inexperienced for a time ; but 

 the effect of such a system is certainly ruinous to 

 the proprietor in the end, and is never practised 

 by the forester of extensive experience — but only 

 by the inexperienced, who think that if they can 

 but please the taste of their employer at the time, 

 all will be well. If the trees in a young plantation 

 arc all erjually healthy, then it is but proper to 

 thin them out to a regular distance from one 

 another ; but where many of the trees appear of 

 an unhealthy cast, — which is frequently the case 

 in a high situation, — the healthy trees should be 

 preserved without respect to a nice regularity in 

 appearance. Wherever two trees may be found 

 growing together, the one having a healthy and 

 the other an unhealthy appearance, and according 

 to regularity in the act of thinning the unhealthy 

 tree may be found to occupy a proper place and 

 the healthy one an improper, yet, for the sake 

 of the future welfare of the plantation, no hesi- 

 tation ou2ht to be entertained as to which should 



