and of Rural Improvement generally, during 1842. 655 



12 feet, or even at the surface of the ground, and afterwards 

 thinning out the branches which have sprung up, will give rise 

 to forms which, though not so grand as those of trees with bold 

 erect trunks, will, at least, afford variety by being singular or 

 picturesque. 



The bad effect on the timber of the larch, when grown along 

 with the Scotch pine, has been confirmed at Nettlecombe Court 

 (see p. 485.). On the subject of pruning trees, and the pre- 

 vious preparation of the soil, some opinions will be found 

 expressed by Mr. Selby, in p. 568., which are at variance with 

 ours, and, we believe, with those generally adopted both by 

 theorists and practical men ; but, being the opinions of a planter 

 of scientific knowledge and great experience, they deserve every 

 attention. They have been opposed by Mr. Main, in our 

 opinion one of the best authorities on the subject, in the 

 Gardeners' Gazette, who says : " We were not a little surprised 

 at finding Mr. Selby declare that he is not an advocate ' for 

 the trenching of the ground previously to planting, being con- 

 vinced, from personal observation and experience, that no 

 adequate or remunerating advantage, either by the more rapid 

 growth of the tree, or the improvement in the quality of the 

 timber, is obtained, sufficient to compensate for the great 

 additional expense incurred.' Now, this is so completely in 

 the teeth of all past and present experience, that it should not 

 be allowed to pass without some sort of qualification ; for, if 

 the author found it so in his own case, which is just probable, 

 it cannot be admitted as a general rule. If Mr. Selby's soil 

 was of a generous open quality, neither rocky gravel nor 

 tenacious clay, his pitted trees might succeed passably well. 

 Such style of planting we have executed ourselves, and seen 

 executed by others, on deep rich loams ; but in no case so well 

 as if the ground had been trenched to the depth of fifteen 

 inches. There are certain make-shift proceedings of sticking 

 in trees any how, on inaccessible places, or on mountains of 

 great extent, where neither plough nor spade is available ; but 

 who can assert that such mode is preferable to planting on 

 previously prepared ground ? If corn, culinary vegetables, &c, 

 are benefited by deep or subsoil ploughing, how much more are 

 trees, which root deeply, benefited by having the soil broken 

 and ameliorated for their reception?" (Gard. Gaz., Nov. 12. 

 1842. p. 734.) 



Planters who are desirous of introducing the Pinus Laricio 

 var. austriaca on a large scale will now find abundance of 

 plants in the nurseries ; as they will also of Quercus alba, the 

 white American oak, which Cobbett so strongly recommended, 

 but which is so difficult to introduce by means of acorns, as they 

 germinate as soon as they drop from the tree, and often before. 



