lyrainage 21 



that the gorse may form a harbourage for rabbits and mice, which 

 would bark tlie trees and kill them. If the growth of the gorse or 

 broom is kept down, the trees will soon grow up, form a canopy, and 

 kill it off or weaken it. 



Bracken. The young shoots may be broken off as they appear 

 above ground ; cutting the plants with a scythe has the advantage 

 that the stems may be used for litter, and if this cutting is done two 

 or three times in the growing season, while the stems are green, 

 the plants are effectually weakened. 



Where possible, a chain harrow is useful in bruising the young 

 fronds. This, of course, can be used only before planting. 



Drainage. 



Drainage. Drainage is an important operation in agriculture ; 

 but it is very doubtful if it pays to go to much expense in draining 

 land which is to be planted with trees ; at any rate, it would be well 

 to consider the cost before commencing. Whenever a wet place 

 occurs in an area which it is proposed to plant, it is often thought 

 essential to cut drains in all directions ; whereas, in many cases, it 

 would be far more profitable to plant trees which are capable of 

 thriving on a swampy site, such as birch, Scotch pine, etc. Many 

 comprehensive works have been written on drainage, and the reader 

 is referred to these for general information on the subject.^ 



The advantages of drainage from the forester's point of view are : 



(1) Land previously unfit for planting (except in the case of a 

 few species) is made capable of growing the more valuable trees. 



(2) The " Annual Increment " of timber (see p. 3) is increased 

 by the greater depth of the feeding area available for the roots. 



(3) The manurial ingredients are more available, owing to the 

 increased aeration of the soil. 



(4) The normal health of the trees is increased, so that there is 

 less chance of damage from fungi and insects. 



(5) Trees are less liable to be blown down, owing to their 

 deeper roots. 



^ Mitchell, A., "A Handbook of Land Drainage." Published by the Land 

 Agent's Records, Ltd., 1898. 



