134 THINNING. 



centre of a group is cut down, the roots of all the other 

 •immediately surrounding trees equally suffer. 



If the trees, when thinned, are young, vigorous, 

 and full of sap, they in a comparatively short time 

 recover their wonted luxuriance and vigour of growth ; 

 but if considerably advanced in years, their recovery ■ 

 is much more protracted, or perhaps may altogether 

 .fail. 



Practical forestry, I consider, may be defined as 

 signifying the growing of the greatest quantity of the 

 most valuable wood or timber upon the smallest 

 piece of ground in the shortest period of time. To 

 grow a large quantity of wood is a very desirable 

 thing, but the operations of forestry may and often 

 are so conducted as to increase the quantity at the 

 expense of the quality. We have all seen large 

 bulky trees, so coarse and knotty and open in the 

 grain as to be unfit for almost anything. Scotch fir, 

 for example, grown on rich loam, or on certain de- 

 scriptions of moss-land, is of such rapid growth as to 

 render the wood useless for almost anything except 

 fuel. Quantity of wood produced is therefore no 

 true index to good forestry, but when combined with 

 quality, the case is essentially different. The largest 

 and best are qualities sought for in a tree ; and it is 

 hoped that in the sequel it will be shown how, by 

 thinning, they can be produced. 



The size and quality of a tree are also in them- 

 selves very good ; but wood as well as gold may be 

 bought too dear, or cost too much, and if gold may 

 be bought too dear, wood may also be grown at too 

 great an expense : and when this is the case, prac- 

 tical forestry cannot be said to be successfully 

 accomplished. One thing above most others very 



