OF OAK PLANTATIONS. 177 



sidered rather a level and sheltered part of the 

 country, although there was no other plantation 

 near it. The ground was fenced by a young hedge 

 all round, protected by a three-barred paling ; and 

 as the proprietor wished the plantation to be one 

 of oak, without any admixture of other trees, 

 the ground was planted entirely with oak plants 

 in the usual way, and at three feet apart, but 

 without any firs whatever to act as nurses. The 

 oaks thus planted remained in a dormant state for 

 three years after they were planted, not only 

 making no young shoots whatever, but, upon the 

 contrary, fully one-third of the plants died out. 

 Upon seeing this state of things with regard to tliis 

 plantation, the forester thought that the whole 

 would turn out a failure upon his hand, set us to 

 work, and had fifteen hundred Scots fir plants 

 planted to the acre of the ground, mixing them 

 regularly among the oaks. In two years after this 

 planting of the Scots firs, or five years from the 

 time that the oaks were planted, the former began 

 to make considerable shoots, so much so as to give 

 a little shelter over the surface of the ground : 

 the oaks now began to throw up healthy shoots 

 from the tops of their roots, or rather at that part 

 where the roots are thrown out from the stem : 

 and in many instances, where it was thought that 

 the young plants were dead, they sent up excellent 

 young shoots as soon as shelter was produced. 



M 



