Premature Decay of Plantations. 211 



Art. VI. On the premature Decay of Plantations. By J. Wighton. 



A friend of mine lately called my attention to what was once 

 a thriving plantation, and asked my opinion why so many of the 

 trees came to premature decay. He observed that the soil was 

 good, and that it could not be the cause. While discussing the 

 matter a by-stander remarked that the trees had done no good 

 since they were thinned out ; that operation not having been 

 done at a proper time. This remark convinced me more of my 

 belief, that the decay of this plantation, like that of others which 

 I have observed, arose from the trees not having been properly 

 thinned out when they were young, and that the thinning had 

 been injudiciously done after they advanced in growth. This 

 matter seems to be overlooked by most planters, and, it beino- of 

 great importance, 1 shall notice the evil effects of it. 



In proceeding I will not enter into the various causes why 

 young plantations are not properly thinned out, but merely 

 observe that old ones are often kept thick to harbour game, 

 and small belts are kept thick to afford shelter and exclude the 

 view. It is in the latter, when in exposed stuations, that prema- 

 ture decay of the trees takes place ; and this is caused by their 

 being crowded together while young, by which means they are 

 drawn up weak, and lose their under branches for want of 

 sufficient light and air. The soil being good, the trees at first 

 make rapid growth, especially the spruce fir, by which they get 

 rotten at heart, and begin to die off. In a small plantation in 

 front of Captain Nevill distance's house, at Stone Hill, near 

 Norwich, there are firs in this state. 



A general thinning commences sooner or later, by which the 

 trees are exposed on all sides ; they, being weak both in root 

 and trunk, cannot withstand the blast ; they are blown about in 

 all manner of ways ; the trees, of course, are injured, and many 

 of them die, which would not have been the case if they had 

 been gradually thinned out when young, observing always to 

 have the hardiest kinds thickest on the outside to shelter their 

 neighbours. 



When these rules are attended to the trees get firm hold of 

 the ground, strength is added with their growth, and they 

 retain their under branches. It is from the want of light and 

 air that trees lose their under branches. The following facts 

 prove this. Trees on the outside of plantations hold their 

 branches to the ground on the light side, and are quite bare on 

 the darker side : this holds good even with the fir tribe, which 

 are most liable to lose their branches. I may observe that 

 plantations are sometimes left thick, with a view to draw up the 

 trees with long straight stems. This I consider a good plan, 



