SESSILE-FRUITED OAK. 



27; 



is of a strong argillaceous nature and capable of bearing- 

 Oak, the following combination may be adopted, larch 

 1200, firs 600, Oak 600, birch 600 ; or, second combina- 

 tion, larch 1200, firs 800, Oak 400, birch 600. 



The Oak is generally planted by the pitting method, 

 and the pits should be made two or three months before 

 the plants are put in, in order that the earth thrown out 

 may become loose and friable by exposure to the atmo- 

 spheric air ; this is certainly the best method upon all 

 soils where superabundant moisture can readily escape, as 

 plants of a larger size can be used, and sufficient room 

 given to the large and lengthy tap root, without cutting 

 off so large a portion of the lower part of it as is frequently 

 done by ignorant workmen to facilitate its insertion in the 

 ground. In stiff retentive clays, however, we prefer the 

 slitting system, using plants of rather smaller size ; the 

 great advantage attending this mode of planting is, that 

 no reservoir is formed for any quantity of water to stagnate 

 around, and corrupt the roots, which frequently happens 

 where pitting has been pursued upon stiff retentive soils. 



Two years after planting, the Oaks should be carefully 

 inspected, and every plant that seems stunted or of un- 

 seemly figure, cut over close by the ground ; this operation 

 gives an immediate stimulus to the root below, and it 

 rarely fails to throw up a strong straight shoot, in most 

 instances taller than the original stock that had been cut 

 away. Subsequently the Oak requires very little pruning, 

 and the knife ought rarely to be used except to remove 

 a supernumerary leader, or to shorten a side branch of 

 too rampant a growth, and this ought only to be done 

 whilst the tree is young, and always in summer, or after 

 the expansion of the leaves. 



The excision of large branches of the Oak close by 



T 2 



