356 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[September 29, 1888. 



Forestry. 



- Planting Trees, &c. — Where planting operations 

 are in view, great care should be exercised in choosing 

 such trees as are suited to the soil and situation, and 

 as profitable trees to plant on light, poor, hilly land; 

 nothing excels the Larch or Corsican Pine amongst 

 Firs, and for deciduous species the Sycamore, Birch and 

 ■Beech, and a host of others. Should the situation 

 be much exposed' to the wind, a belt should be planted 

 of the Austrian and Scotch Pine, Pinus Pinaster, 

 Sycamore, Crab, common Poplar, Ulmus alata, and 

 any of the Maples. The thinner and poorer the land 

 the better does the Corsican Pine seem to thrive ; 

 and where the Larch has died out prematurely on 

 gravelly soils by becoming " pumped," there the ac- 

 commodating Corsican produces a greater quantity 

 of timber in a given time than it would on the best 

 and richest of loam. 



When planted on hilly declivities the Larch does 

 best, and is free from disease, particularly if the 

 aspect be west or north-west. For marshy ground 

 the Alder and Willow, as well as several kinds of 

 Poplar, succeed admirably, and soon impart a 

 clothed appearance to the landscape. 



On limestone and chalky soils, Abies cephalonica 

 and A. Pinsapo, the common Yew, Wellingtonia, 

 Austrian and Weymouth Pines, Pinus austriaca, and 

 P. Strobus, make good timber and close shelter. 

 Then for hardwoods we have the Beech, Spanish 

 Chestnut, Sycamore, Maple, and Elm, amongst 

 timber trees; and the Pyrus, Dogwood, Elder, 

 Viburnum Opulus and V. lantana, amongst smaller 

 growing or underwood shrubby species. 



Where the soil is of a deep rich loamy nature, 

 and resting on clay or gravel, the Oak and Ash may 

 be planted, and with every chance of their succeed- 

 ing well, and yielding, a large, quantity of timber. 

 Amongst copses, and in thin soils and undulating 

 grounds, the Sweet Chestnut, Hazel, and Ash may 

 ibrm the main crop, the latter occupying the deeper and 

 better soils, where it will ultimately attain to fair pro- 

 portions, and become a valuable market commodity. 

 Planting on Peat Soil'. — On peaty soils few, in^ 

 deed, are the trees that refuse to grow and give 

 a very satisfactory return for expenses incurred. 

 Rank peat bog must, however, have the water 

 drained off by ditching before, planting is begun, 

 or the results will not be very satisfactory. The 

 Scotch Fir,, when planted in quantity, acts as a 

 powerful absorber of moisture, and for this purpose 

 it has been largely used in the province of Ulster for 

 bog planting. I know well of several woods not 

 very far distant from the shores of Lough Neagh 

 planted fully twenty years ago on unreclaimed peat 

 bog, and that are now doing splendidly. The tract 

 of bog at the time of being laid down to woodland 

 was simply divested of* all heather by burning, and 

 afterwards wide and deep drains were cut, but only 

 along the margin and thrdugh the dampest portions 

 of the ground. Scotch Fir formed the main portion 

 of the crop, and these were planted in pits that had 

 been dug out three months previous to planting. 

 For some, years after planting, the ditches were half- 

 full of water, but as the Firs grew in size the 

 amount discharged became less and less until the 

 drains were, practically speaking, useless for the 

 purpose intended, and are now as dry as any other 

 portion of the woodland.- That the Scotch Fir acts 

 as an absorber of moisture — more so than perhaps 

 any other tree — is fully verified by a remarkable 

 experiment conducted on. the Continent some years 

 ago. 



Seaside Trees. — For planting along the sea coast 

 we have an excellent collection of trees and 

 shrubs, including such tried subjects as the 

 Cluster Pine (Pinus Pinaster), the Austrian (P. 

 austriaca), the Aleppo and Corsican (P. hale- 

 pensis and P. Laricio), Cupressus macrocarpa, 

 Thuia gigantea, the common Yew, Scotch Fir, 

 and many others among the coniferous section. 

 Then amongst hardwoods the Willow, Elm, -Syca- 

 more, Alder, Poplar, and Elder rank high, the latter 

 thriving with luxuriance down to the very beach. 

 Amongst shrubs the Laurustinus, Box, Thorn, 

 Tea tree (Lycium barbarum) Escallonias, Pyruses 

 of many kinds ; Euonymus, various species; Tama- 

 risk, and Privet are only a few of the many that 

 may be planted with the certainty of f heir doing well. 

 As town trees, Platanus orientalis acerifolia, Syca- 

 mores (particularly the variegated kinds), the Lime, 

 Ailantus, Thorns. Sumach, Aucuba, Privet, Lilacs, 

 Pyracantha, and Euonymus are all good subjects. 

 Form of Woods. — Before passing from the subject 



we will briefly consider what is v strictly Jandseape 

 planting, as well as a few of "the coniferous and 

 other trees that have been found best suited for 

 the ornamentation of our parks and grounds. In' 

 forming new plantations, clumps, or masses of 



out of the square or rounded fashion that, unfortu- 

 nately, one so often sees in a day's walk over almost 

 any part of the country. 



A wood, particularly that in which deciduous trees 

 form the main crop, may be enlivened by the plant- 



Fid. 47. — DRSINIA PDLCHRA, ANNUAL (SEE P. 355). 



trees, an eye to the beautiful should always be 

 considered a matter of paramount importance, and 

 more particularly so as no extra expense, practically 

 speaking, is required to render a woodland pic- 

 turesque, more than would be occasioned to plan it 



ing of choice Conifers and deciduous trees with fine 

 foliage and noble port around the margins. 



Mass planting is here, perhaps, the best mode to 

 pursue, and many of our hardiest Pines and Cypresses 

 are the trees best suited for such a work. The 



