158 FOREST PLANTING. 



back flows, covering the low ground where the stream 

 was sluggish and the fall slight. The surrounding trees 

 and bushes, water-killed or drowned by the back flow, 

 or gnawed down by the beavers, fell into the water and 

 gradually decayed. This mixed with the debris brought 

 by floods, as time went on, filled their pond, and aquatic 

 vegetation, finding root in this rich mould, soon com- 

 pleted the work." 



In regard to the cultivation of the high moors the 

 following considerations may be kept in view: The 

 peat-mosses form an infertile soil and wherever the top 

 soil consists of such ingredients there is no possibility 

 for a successful culture of forest vegetation. But the 

 heath plants render the moor soil compact, and even 

 enrich it, forming in due time a surface soil which 

 proves the more nutritous the thicker it becomes, and 

 enables us to proceed with growing forest-trees thereon. 

 In Europe those countries which contain many high- 

 moors are very poor and, therefore, only sparsely settled. 

 But lately the moors have been recommended for plant- 

 ing them with forest-trees and people have successfully 

 grown there all kinds of trees, especially oak seedlings 

 as coppice wood for tanning purposes. 



For raising forest-trees upon high moors, first of all 

 there has to be ascertained whether mineralic earth 

 may be had from the subsoil without too much exjiense. 

 If this be the case, the culture upon raised beds as des- 

 cribed in Chapter II. Avould be the most advisable one. 

 The more mosses the top soil contains and consequently 

 the poorer this soil is, the more sand has to be brought 

 up from the subsoil and thoroughly mixed with the moor 

 soil. Commonly a layer of sand from 6 to 10 inches 

 will be sufficient. Should the moor ground be too deep 

 to reach the sandy subsoil, drainage combined with 

 burning over the top soil is the only means for unlock- 



