Jory 13, 1895.] 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
potash than К". *. is exported in the 
cereal gra eing retained in the 
= 9 little 
Of lime, very little is vis wp by the cereal 
crops, and by tbe roots much less than of potash ; 
pos f а self-supporting rota- 
gag Toe a considerable 
loss of — in 1 dra 
The interpolated mae — iudim «di roots and 
the Legumino's—take up scarcely any silica; but 
the cereals take up a very large amount of it, In- 
deed, the large amount of silica taken up by these 
crops when grow 
Although the eventual loss to the lan 
constituents ir, in a self-supporting rotation. com- 
paratively во small, the = fact that the different 
b, not only very different 
3 
5 
2 
very important element—the 
nitrogen of the crops—is т idere 
As the nitrogen, has been $ seen that, 
although very erae ri Bele benefited by nitro- 
en а 
~ 
et 
sE 
Ф 
may contain two 
ut perhaps not more than 10 or 15 per cent. 
forage leguminous crop, is sold off in animal increase 
or mi T 
a very large proporti 
the much more highly nitrogen-yielding crops, 
returns to the land as manure, for th 
future cereals and other cro 
rule, кыЛ a comparatively small proportion of the 
very much inc amount of nitrogen obtained in 
rotation compared with that in continuous cereal 
cropping T due to the interpolated crops) that 
e land in the saleable products. 
‘restorative crops," it en shown that certainly 
in the case of the roots it is not, as sometimes 
been assumed, that such plants take tro 
n 
from the air by virtue of their extended leaf- porum 
ommon experience and direct experiment 
demonstrate that they are as dependent as any crop 
that is grown on available nitrogen within the soil, 
such conditions of supply, however, the 
root crops, gross feeders as they are, and distribu- 
ting large amount of fibrous feeding root 
within the soil, avail themselves of a much greater 
8 of the nitrogen supplied than the cereals 
would under similar circumstances, this result being 
"P ue to their period of accumulation and 
growth extending even months after noc period of 
rminated, 
ason when nitrification eM the soil 
ia the most active, and the accumulation of nitrates 
in it > the gr Lastly, full supply of both 
mine pad otim and nitrogen being at com- 
Midi these crops assimilate а very large amount of 
carbon from the atmosphere, snd produce, besides 
nitrogenous food-products, a very large amount of 
the carbohydrates—sugar, as arated and fat- 
forming food for the live-atock of th 
The still more highly — leguminous 
produce of the rotation than any o 
obtained from the soil and sub-soil; though recent 
investigations bave proved that some of their 
nitrogen, and sometimes much of it, may be оен 
— from the free nitrogen - the atm 
breught into combination under the — of 
micro- ee within the esc An on the roots of 
the plants, 
Bat independently of the benefits arising from the 
manure available, and of the increased sale of highly- 
valuable animal products, there are im elements 
example, w 
operations of the farm, involving horse and hand 
labour, are better distributed over the = and are 
therefore more economically performe 
by no means least, a opportunities 
which alternate cropping affords for the cleaning of 
the land from weeds is a prominent element of 
advantage. J. J. Willis, Harpenden, 
FORESTRY. 
THE NATURAL REGENERATION OF 
WOODS 
Few branches of British forestry probably are 
more neglected than the restocking of mature wood- 
land by means of self-sown seedlings. Although it 
ore or less in every seed-bearing wood, yet 
we seldom, if ever, find any systematic methods 
adopted to bring it about in a uniform and satis- 
factory manner. It requires, of course, a certai 
amount of skill and jadgment on the part of those 
ent of the wood previous 
mple as raising а farm 
exist for the reception of the seed which falls from 
the parent trees, and this is the requisite which is 
chiefly lacking in our woods. 
forest seed-bed pre natural cau 
differs with the species which are to occupy it. For 
the proper development of a seedling into a sapling, 
the seed must germinate — matter which wi 
support the plant after its st of resery terial 
(stored up in the cotyledons or orendosperm) has given 
out, and i t also be exposed to sufficient 
air ddl light for its е to carry on their work 
properly. In dense oods, especially when 
composed of iiie Sensing’ species, a thick layer 
” 
moisture for any length of time, nor has it such an 
intimate connection with the soil beneath which 
would set up capillari arity, Uader these circumstances, 
а seed falling upon the forest floor may germinate, 
from insufficient moisture 
annual leaf-fall must ba checked, and p and Ам 
allowed to act upon and hasten ecom posing 
process. or this jee the felling of a woud which 
it is intended to regenerate — is usually 
performed at two distinct periods. or three 
years before а seed crop is likely to фы what is 
known as a “ ерисиу felling” is made, which 
removes about on f, more or less, of the trees, 
and greatly xf the leaf. canopy. felling 
a obj of the humus- 
layer, as already mentioned, and the "—— of ed 
n 
thus bring about a plentifal crop of seed. After the 
latter occurs and falls to the ground, a second felling 
is made in order to further lighten the canopy for the 
benefit of the seedlings which appear in the following 
spring. The extent =й * felling depends upon the 
requirements and n of the seedlings, In the 
case of соге gro at Beech or Hornbeam, 
suffisient trees may remain to form a light but 
fairly regular shade, as the former of these atu is 
very sensitive to late frosts, and the seedlings a 
easily destroyed during the first year. Where — 
parent trees possess comparatively light crowns, as 
Oak or Ash, the same proportion may remain with- 
out interfering with the seedlings, for T canopy 
prevents the drying-up of the ground an d baking of 
the surface, and thus favours the growth of the 
seedlings. А ег the latter are fally established, tlie 
remaining trees can be gradually removed, an the 
blanks which occur e z by —— seed- 
lings from the thicker parts 
In the case of Conifers of the Pine genus, heavier 
felling at the time of the seed crop is necessary, ar 
ine seedlin ngs require ed — vm and the Ж 
ne seeds 
speculation for the evolutionist, and those acquai 
with the peculiarities attending the natural regenera- 
tion of this tree are able to recognise the enormous: 
wing confers upon the se 
suitable localities for its germination te 
the reason may be, the fact remains, that both the 
germination of the seed and the growth of the seed- 
lings occur most readily on sites which have never, 
or at least not recently, borne a crop of timber, 
heathy moors, whether these be wet or dry, peaty or 
—_ this es any establishes itself, pro- 
viding а trees are within reasonable 
distance, ad the —- is not too long and rank to 
prevent the seed reac the soil, Bat under its 
own shade, or thatof other trees, the Scots Pine - - 
te zeli itself in a satisfactory manner; he 
the necessity for means of locomotion other oak 
those usually provided in the case of most other tree~ 
apecies. 
Tre real secret of success in all cases of natural 
lar crop of any kind of — is 
impossible, and with some species the germination, . 
under such conditions, of а 
occurrence, This suppression can only be effected 
ч gr a arm and unbroken leaf-canopy for 
us to the preliminary fellings. 
With light-demanding species a dense canopy is 
difficalt to obtain, unless a mixture of some shade- 
bearing tree, usually Beech, is introduced either at 
p iste - crop is planted or later on, according to 
ces, By such means а clear field is left 
— de dye of the legitimate crop, which are able to 
rminate growth before weeds and 
soil, 
sant. ын», 
мын» resemble a rather к barn-door fowl, · 
J yards 
VU Arp V 
