On raising Plantations near the Sea. 497 



clined to grass or other herbage, great care must be taken to 

 clear the young pinasters, and not to suffer them to be over- 

 shaded, particularly in a wet season ; as instances have occurred 

 where, for want of attention to this, nearly half the crop has 

 been lost by the plants damping off near the bottom. With re- 

 gard to the age of the plants to be inserted, those of two years' 

 growth, and having been once transplanted from the seed-bed, 

 are generally adopted ; perhaps, not on account of their being 

 cheaper than those which have been twice transplanted, but by 

 reason of there being in the nurseries a greater number of them 

 for sale : plants, however, of three years' growth, which have 

 been twice transplanted, are by far preferable, and will amply 

 repay the planter for their extra-price. In raising a plantation 

 of forest trees on the coast, thus nursed by pinasters, the latter 

 must always be considered of secondary importance; therefore, 

 as soon as they have come in contact with each other, means 

 must be taken to prevent the forest trees from becoming encum- 

 bered by the pinasters, either by lopping the latter, or by taking 

 them entirely away by degrees, as it may appear necessary ; at the 

 same time taking care to leave a good breastwork of them on 

 the outside, opposite to the coast. 



With regard to the selection of forest trees, I have known 

 failures to happen through the partiality of the planter to one 

 particular species, for which there was no congeniality in the soil 

 to be planted. I should, therefore, strongly recommend that 

 a variety of species be introduced; and that, in the course of 

 thinning, place be given to those which take the lead, or at least 

 to such as promise fair to make fine trees of the most valuable 

 kinds of timber. 



The season made choice of for planting the pinaster is usually 

 the months of March and April. The success of the plants de- 

 pends greatly upon the weather in the two following months; if 

 it be hot and dry, many failures are likely to take place : it is, 

 therefore, a question with me if autumn planting would not be 

 preferable, and experience in some measure confirms me in the 

 opinion that it would; but, as the trial was only made in one 

 instance, I do not feel myself at liberty to decide upon it. I can 

 only say that, in the instance alluded to, very few failures occurred, 

 which may be accounted for upon the principle that all ever- 

 greens derive great advantage from their foliage being kept moist 

 for some time after being planted ; which is more likely to happen 

 in the autumn than the spring, particularly on the sea coast, where 

 the air is mostly humid during the autumn and winter. The frost, 

 also, is less intense near the coast, and, consequently, less likely 

 to injure the trees, than it is in places far removed from the sea. 

 The pinaster is rather a ticklish plant to deal with on removing 

 it to the plantation. The sooner it can be planted, after it is 



