OF OAK PLANTATIONS. 169 



had escaped the ravages of the mice and pheas- 

 ants, were greedily sought after and devoured by 

 the hares and rabbits when they came into leaf. 

 Therefore, in the mean time, and until I have fur- 

 ther experience upon this point, I am induced to 

 think, that the system of rearing oaks at once 

 from the acorn in the forest ground is not at all 

 adapted to the present state of forest lands. I 

 confess that I am convinced of the propriety of 

 raising trees in the forest at once from the seed, 

 in order to have the best specimens of timber 

 trees ; but it is very hkely that a period of fifty 

 years must elapse before our forest grounds are 

 put into a proper and fit state for raising trees 

 to advantage by such a system. Were it prac- 

 ticable to have all our forest ground ploughed 

 and cleaned in the same manner as in agricultural 

 operations, I would at once say, that all forest 

 trees ought to be raised from the seed at once 

 sown in the ground they are intended to occupy ; 

 but until then, the system is quite impracticable. 



1 conclude my observations upon this head by re- 

 marking, that the advantages of the system in ques- 

 tion are, that the trees so raised never receive any 

 check in their growth, as must be the case with all 

 transplanted trees ; they grow much quicker, and 

 come sooner to the size of trees, than those raised 

 by transplanting ; they grow taller in habit from 

 not having their tap roots cut, and are seldom 



