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the roots. The laborer then proceeds to prepare the next hole, while the 

 man and boy close the mould around the tree and complete the operation. 

 If the site on which you plant is bleak, and soil comparatively barren, 1 would 

 place the trees forty-eight inches apart ; if deep and loamy, forty inches 

 will be found a good distance. In planting trees of a larger growth than 

 specified, it will be absolutely necessary to secure them well by staking 

 against the wind, as, if they become loose, the fibers will be so much lace- 

 rated and broken that they will inevitably die. 



During the past fall I set out five hundred maples and elms, two inches 

 in diameter, along my road fences, and for fear stakes might injure them 

 by rubbing, I rammed the earth closely about the roots, and piled stones 

 on top of the ground around each tree, which practice in my soil will suc- 

 ceed. As the principal property of any young tree, intended for trans- 

 plantation, consists in a large quantity of healthy spongioles, it becomes 

 necessary, in order to obtain this desirable result, that the young tree 

 should be nursed, in a proper soil, for a couple of years, to attain this 

 object, as it enables us to commit them to a far less congenial soil with 

 greater probability of ultimate success. If we commit a plant to the 

 plantation that has both branch and root to make, it stands to reason that 

 it has a much less chance of succeeding than that which has only the 

 branch to form during the first season after so important a change. This 

 demonstrates the reason why young plants of small size surpass those in 

 growth that are larger, as we are more successful in taking them up with 

 entire roots, filled with tufty vmbroken fibres, ready to seek pasturage in 

 their new habitation for the suotenance of the trunk. Whenever it 

 becomes necessary, after taking up a tree, to top the roots, no eiforts of 

 human art can repair the injury. 



For belts, or clumps, one hundred feet in diameter, in a bleak position, 

 and thin soil, I would plant the margins not more than two feet six inches 

 apart, and the interior three feet six inches. If the situation is sheltered, 

 and soil tolerably deep, four, or even five feet might answer, according to 

 circumstances. Small clumps, or narrow belts should, as a general 

 thing, be planted thicker than a more extended mass, that the plants 

 may shelter each other. For a deep soil, and thoroughly sheltered posi- 

 tion, six feet will be a proper medium distance. The plants will then 

 have a chance to grow, until their necessary thinnings may be made useful 

 for bean poles, hop poles, &c. And even if left to form timber, they will 

 draw each other up, instead of becoming squat, if thus near each other, 

 and will never require the pruning saw. Thick rather than thin planting 

 is by far the safest side to err on. I noticed the Duke of Portland's 

 plantations, where trees of various sizes were originally planted, at the 

 rate of 2,000 trees to the acre, which appeared to be about right. His 

 custom was to plant acorns with the dibble, after the trees were set. 



In planting timber trees it is necessary to pay attention to the most 

 advantageous manner of intermixing trees. Sometimes they are planted 

 abroad in groups, but I think they succeed best when planted as nature 



