38 



BRITISH FOREST TREES. 



after it is carefully shaken in among the fibres ; 

 and, especially, keeping the sui'face of the ground, 

 within four feet of the plant, friable and free from 

 weeds, by repeated hoeings dm'ing the first two or 

 three summers. Of course, if you suffer the plant 

 to waver with the wind, or to be rubbed and bruised 

 by cattle, or by the appendages of the plough, it is 

 folly to expect success. On this account, stout plants, 

 from 8 to 1 2 feet high, the branches more out of the 

 way of injury, may, in sheltered situations, mider care- 

 ful management, be the most proper size. IMuch 

 also depends on procuring stm'dy plants from exposed 

 situations. We have experienced better success vath. 

 hardy plants from the exposed side of a hill, having 

 unfibred carrot roots much injm-ed by removal, than 

 with others from a sheltered morass, having the most 

 numerously fibred, well extricated roots. In cases, 

 where, from the moistness and coldness of the gromid 

 in early summer, there was a torpor of root suction, 

 and, in consequence, the developing leaves withering 

 up under an arid atmosphere, we have attempted to 

 stimulate the root action by application of warm 

 water, covering up the smface of the ground with dry 

 litter to confine the heat ; we have also endeavom'ed 

 to encourage the root action by increasing the tempe- 

 rature of cold light-colom'ed soils, by strewing soot 



