418 CONIFERS. 



scales expand and the seed falls out. This by many is 

 effected in a much quicker way by subjecting the cones 

 to the process of kiln-drying, a mode, however, which un- 

 less conducted with the greatest care, we consider, in com- 

 mon with Boutcher and Matthew, as likely to prove highly 

 injurious to the constitution of the future plants. 



The time for sowing is from the end of March to the 

 beginning of May, according to the nature of the season. 

 A light free soil is selected for the seed-beds, and the 

 seed, which is sown very thick or so that the plants rise 

 within a quarter or half an inch of each other, is covered 

 with a sifting of fine soil to the depth of about a quarter 

 of an inch. The young plants are generally allowed to 

 stand two seasons in the seed-bed, and are then trans- 

 planted into nursery lines, from whence, in another year 

 they are in good condition for planting permanently out. 

 Such is the general practice of the nurseries, but there are 

 proprietors who raise their own trees, and plant directly 

 from the seed-bed ; in this case the planting iron is the 

 instrument usually employed for the purpose, and with 

 it a skilful workman will insert from three to nearly four 

 thousand plants in a day. But where transplanted trees 

 of one or more years old are used, the slitting or T 

 method with the common spade is preferable as it affords 

 a better bed and firmer receptacle for the enlarged roots, 

 although a workman may not be able to insert nearly 

 so many trees within the same time. In general from 

 four to five thousand plants are allowed to the imperial 

 acre in making plantations consisting exclusively of Scot- 

 tish Pine ; but such are now becoming comparatively rare 

 even in the highland districts, as the larch is now largely 

 introduced, being found to grow and thrive in soils of 

 the same description, and at nearly as high an elevation 



