MIXED HARD-WOOD TLANTATIONS. 161 



opposite character. All fir plantations should be 

 kept out upon the poor high grounds ,of an estate ; 

 and by the arrangement of having the hard-wood 

 trees in the centre of the property, and the firs 

 upon the outer grounds, the whole will have a most 

 natural and imposing efi'ect. 



Wherever a young plantation is made of hard- 

 wood and firs, with the view of their ultimately be- 

 coming ornamental lawn trees, they should, in every 

 respect, be treated in the same manner as already 

 advised for forest hard-wood trees, until they arrive 

 at the period when they require to be thinned for 

 the first time. The hard-wood which are intended 

 for lawn trees should also be brought into shape 

 by receiving a judicious pruning previous to be- 

 ing thinned for the first time, as has been advised 

 elsewhere ; and when the hard-wood trees which 

 are intended for lawn standards are thinned, they 

 should have, at all stages, much room and space to 

 spread out their branches and develope themselves 

 according to their nature, which is the state in 

 which trees always appear to best advantage. And 

 in order to allow the young hard-wood trees to 

 attain their natural shape as much as possible, the 

 firs which may be planted about them, with the 

 view of giving shelter for a time, should be kept 

 well off them, and never allowed even to touch 

 theu' branches, but placed so as merely to stand 

 by thcii- sides, and give the benefit of their shelter. 



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