134 THE REARING OF 



be cut down, but in all such cases at once cut out 

 the sickly and leave the healthy. 



In the thinning of young fir plantations for the 

 first time, it may be asked at what distance the 

 trees should be left the one from the other? In 

 answer to this, I have to say, that no certain dis- 

 tance can be specified : and the reason is, that the 

 young trees do not all grow alike in the same 

 plantation, neither to height nor to breadth of 

 branches; consequently, they do not all occupy the 

 same space upon the ground. In the first thinning 

 of any plantation of considerable extent, It will 

 often be found prudent and necessary to pass over 

 some parts altogether, without taking out almost 

 one single tree, and this will happen upon a part of 

 the ground which is of a poor thin nature ; and 

 again, wherever the ground is of a stronger nature, 

 with a little shelter from the higher grounds, it 

 may be found necessary to take out nearly one 

 third of the trees in order to give proper air and 

 room : and all this must be regulated by obser- 

 vation more than by any rule that could be given. 

 However, as to rule in this case, I may say thus 

 far, that my method of procedure generally is, to 

 leave the trees, as nearly as possible, yree^ro^n one 

 another after the thinning has been performed : 

 that is, when a plantation of young trees has been 

 newly thinned, the extreme points of the branches 

 of one tree should do no more than touch those of 



