106 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



that came under our notice, where a crop of potatoes was 

 succeeded by plantation of young larch, that the forester, 

 instead of keeping the weeds down by the hoe the second 

 year, simply, trod or cut them over and left them lying as a 

 moulding, and with advantage to the trees. 



Land from which a crop of timber has been recently 

 removed is considered the most unsuitable for planting, par- 

 ticularly when the previous crop has consisted of any of the 

 pine tribe, which may leave the seeds of disease and insect 

 pests behind them. Even stubbing up the old stools does not 

 get rid of these dangers, and that is expensive work; while 

 trenching the ground, , owing to the cost, is prohibitive. The 

 best plan in such a case is to leave the ground vacant for a few 

 years, exposed to the frost and weather, and it is also an 

 excellent plan to burn the surface vegetation frequently. 

 Fungus from the old stools, such as the dangerous Agaricus 

 mellens, are to be feared, especially when the succeeding crop 

 consists of the same species as the preceding one ; and under 

 such circumstances a change of crop is advisable. Still, re- 

 planting old woods without any preparation is a common 

 practice, and failures are not common after the trees are fairly 

 established. 



SECTION II. — DRAINING. 



As to drains, soil that does not in winter remain 

 sodden or spongy after rains or indicate stagnant water does 

 not need draining, and where these sign's are present open 

 drains from two-and-a-half feet to three feet deep, nine inches 

 wide at the bottom, three feet wide at the top, and about thirty 

 feet asunder, will carry off all superfluous water from heavy 

 rains. The trees themselves absorb much moisture from the 

 ground during the season, but, on the other hand, the evapo- 

 ration from the ground is considerably less in woods than 

 in the open fields. Spongy peat-lands and morasses require 

 deeper and wider drains to render them fit for trees. Accord- 

 ing to the " Highland Society's Transactions ," vol. v., p. 96, 

 in draining extensive peat morasses near Moy, in Ireland, 

 an arterial drain, thirty-three feet wide and from eight to ten 

 feet deep, cut with a slope of forty-five degrees, was first 

 made, and into this sub-mains eight feet wide, five feet deep, 

 and two feet wide at the bottom were led, and into these 

 again the smaller surface, drains. Draining on this scale, as 



