104 PLANTING. 



The only two ways in which I have ever attained 

 true success in making up blanks and renewing old 

 plantations, apart from cutting down and clearing the 

 whole crop, is either by grubbing out all the trees and 

 roots within the area to the depth of 18 inches, or 

 to cover the whole surface of the ground from 12 to 

 18 inches deep, less or more, with new and fresh soil 

 from any convenient place ; and as the surface-soiling 

 proceeds, the old turf should be roughly broken and 

 mixed with it, but always kept underneath. Where 

 a new road is in course of formation, the surface soil 

 taken off is suitable for the purpose. When arable 

 fields have in places unnecessarily deep deposits of 

 moss, sand, or loam, such may at times be reduced, 

 without detriment to the land, and suit the purpose 

 well. In other cases the requirements are met by 

 carting the surface excavations of open drains, remov- 

 ing old turf dykes, &c. Indeed, almost any change 

 of soil will do ; but the distance of cartage is a very 

 important consideration. 



When surface-soiling is impracticable, and trench- 

 ing of some sort is resorted to, the ground should, if 

 possible, be allowed to lie one season unplanted. 



What applies to group-planting applies equally to 

 that of planting single trees or shrubs. It is not 

 sufficient preparation of the soil in old plantations 

 merely to trench it up and make a pit large or small. 

 The old soil should in all cases be taken out, and 

 either wholly or partly substituted by other and better 

 soil, or be improved by fallowing, mixing with leaf- 

 mould or other compost — always excepting lime — 

 when pines or rhododendrons are to be planted. 



The principal reason for maintaining old woods near 

 the mansion in this way is, that there may never at 



