238 On Lawrence's Plan for forming Plantations, 



of growth ; yet, for the benefit of those proprietors who will not, 

 or cannot, superintend the thinning of their own plantations, and 

 who may not have it in their power to employ a skilful forester, 

 I submit a ^ew remarks on row planting, with illustrative tables. 

 As to the mode of operation, anything like aid from a garden 

 line, in extensive plantations, is out of the question : the planter, 

 whether in setting or pitting, has only to keep in line with two 

 distant poles or objects, the same as a land surveyor does, who 

 holds the back end of a surveying chain. The mode was much 

 practised in Scotland about the middle of last century ; and some 



23 



plantations still standing show the accuracy with which trees were 

 then planted in rows, on an extensive scale. 



In planting in rows, it should be kept in view, as far as pos- 

 sible, to accommodate the plants to the soil most suitable for their 

 growth ; and this may be done by retaining the same lines, and 

 varying the hard-wood plants according to the nature of the soil 

 and subsoil over which the lines may pass ; still preserving the 

 same distance with hard wood and nurses. For these nurses, I 

 would prefer larch in general, as affording ample shelter in 

 summer and autumn, while the plants are in a growing state ; 

 and, from their comparatively open nature, as well as being 

 deciduous, they admit a sufficient quantity of air, at all times, to 

 produce what Sir Henry Steuart would call " protecting pro- 

 perties" in the reserves : nor are their roots understood to be 

 hurtful to the growth of any of the hard-wood trees. Although 

 I would, in ordinary circumstances, not recommend planting 

 closer than from 4 ft. or 6 ft., yet, as on some poor soils, and ex- 



