146 THE HEARING OF 



the want of having heen thinned in proper time, I 

 have very often seen them recovered by a very 

 cautious and gradual course of thinning, and that 

 especially where the trees grew upon a dry bottom ; 

 but wherever I have found thinning neglected upon 

 a damp soil, I at once pronounced that there was 

 no hope of recovery for the trees. In many such 

 cases I have seen a gradual course of thinning with 

 draining tried for the purpose of recovery, but all 

 to no purpose. If ever the pine or fir tribe have 

 been much affected by dampness in the soil, the 

 sooner that the trees are cut down the better ; 

 after which, draining and replanting can be got 

 done in a proper manner. 



Where the trees in a neglected fir plantation 

 may happen to be old — say, at or above sixty 

 years — and where, in such a case, it is the wish 

 of the proprietor to extend the existence of his 

 plantation as long as possible for the sake of shel- 

 ter and general ornament, it is a very good method 

 to cut out gradually all the trees which have the 

 appearance of decay, and to leave the best trees 

 standing at wide chstances, and as nearly regular 

 as possible. Say that good trees are left at seventy 

 feet distance one from another, from a distant view 

 the plantation would seem good ; and then the 

 open spaces between the old trees could be re- 

 planted with a crop of hard-wood trees, which, 

 from being sheltered by the old firs, would grow 



