128 THE NEW FORESTRY. 



never been subjected to any preparatory treatment. It is, 

 perhaps, better to plant even good land than to sow it, but if 

 sowing is desired it is only needful to plough a couple of 

 furrows, where the rows are to be, and sow on these. Two 

 furrows are turned over and the seed is sown in the shallow 

 furrow formed where the second sod laps over upon the first 

 The seed may be then covered in with the back -of a- rake, 

 and the work is finished. The first year weeds will not be 

 troublesome, but in the second and third years the rows should 

 be looked over and the grass and other herbage pushed off the 

 young trees so as to give them light. We much prefer* this 

 plan to sowing broadcast. 



SECTION VIII. — PLANTING. SIZE AND AGE OF THE 



PLANTS. 



Where any doubt exists about sowing, recourse must be 

 had to planting properly prepared young trees of a suitable 

 size. The younger the trees are the less they cost to, buy or 

 raise and to plant, and the better they succeed, but the same 

 objection applies to very small plants that applies to sowing 

 seed, viz., their inability to struggle successfully against coarse 

 weeds and tall grass, etc., during the first year or two. For 

 this reason, established plants, from three to four years of ; age 

 or thereabout, that have been transplanted at least every two 

 years, and which are from one foot to twenty inches high, 

 are usually preferred. Young (one or two-year-old) seedlings 

 cost from two shillings and sixpence to seven shillings and 

 sixpence per thousand, and may be planted by the dibber or 

 trowel, under the conditions before described as suitable for 

 seed, and with every prospect of success, but not otherwise. 

 Such trees, though not usually transplanted, move safely 

 and suffer but little check, but not so trees above that 

 age— pines more particularly. Hence the practice, in all 

 good nurseries, of transplanting every second, or, at most, 

 every third year, in order to check luxuriant growth and keep 

 the roots short and bushy, so that when the trees are finally 

 removed to the woods they make a good start. If trans- 

 planting has been neglected failures may be expected. Of 

 course, frequent transplanting adds to the price of the trees,' 

 and, in justice to respectable nurserymen, who transplant their 

 stock frequently, it should be stated that when plants of large 

 size are offered much under the market price it may be 

 suspected that transplanting has been neglected and that the 

 trees may prove dear to the purchaser on that account. Thirty 



