59 



The bird shelter-wood has now been planted. At first it must be left 

 entirely to itself until in the third or fourth year, or, if the soil is 

 very bad, in the fifth year, it somewhat resembles Fig. 1. 



In the third, fourth, or fifth year, according to their growth, all the 

 plants, except those joined in groups and the isolated tall trees and 

 the rose hedges,* are cut down to the ground in order that they may 

 grow up as spreading bushes instead of single stems. Nothing is left 

 of the whole plantation therefore but the groups and tall trees marked 

 by circles and crosses on the diagram and the rose hedges. The 



Fig. 3. SHELTER-WOOD AFTER THE SECOXD CUTTING. 



former only require simple pruning in order to produce a dense growth- 

 The copse now resembles Fig. 2. 



During the following years the copse develops by means of the new 

 shoots to an impenetrable thicket, fenced in by a very thick hedge of 

 wild roses. It, therefore, once more resembles Fig. 1. 



Many people think enough has been done, and that the copse, in 



* Recent experience has shown that the roses thrive better if they are not 

 pruned. If the roses in the illustration seem to have been pruned, it is so that 

 the interior of the wood may be seen more clearly. In reality the rose hedge 

 remains standing. 



