264 CORYLACE^E. 



which unless subjected to the process of furrow draining, 

 are scarce worth cultivating", the Oak grows vigorously, 

 and with every promise of obtaining a valuable scantling ; 

 we have Oaks growing upon land of this description, 

 which look as healthy and promise as fairly, as almost 

 any we have planted upon what we consider the best of 

 our woodland soil, and we can form some opinion of what 

 the nature of the timber is likely to be when matured 

 by age, from the quality and quantity of sound heart- 

 wood the thinnings now show at the age of thirty years. 



In preparing clay lands of this description for planting, 

 the great object is to get them effectually surface-drained, 

 so that after heavy drenching rains the superabundant 

 moisture may be rapidly carried off, and not allowed 

 to stagnate, and thus sour the ground, reducing it in 

 wet seasons to the state of mortar, and afterwards leaving 

 it, when desiccated by long-continued drought, as hard 

 and impervious as a half-burnt brick. This must be ef- 

 fected by numerous open cuts, taking advantage of the 

 hang or fall of the ground, and so disposed as to discharge 

 their contents into one or more main drains, to carry 

 the water entirely off; these open drains ought to be 

 two spadings deep, about three feet wide at the top, 

 and shelving gradually to the bottom, the cost of casting 

 out which may amount to 2d. per rood. 



We speak from experience of the advantage, indeed 

 the necessity of effectually surface-draining land of this 

 description previously to the insertion of the trees, for 

 having planted about eight acres of a stiff clayey soil, 

 with little fall but with no appearance of springs or bot- 

 tom water, we found at the end of four years that the 

 plants had scarcely made any progress, indeed that many 

 had died, their roots having perished, either from the 



