90 



BRITISH FOREST TREES. 



ter to flow oflP easily. The excavated matter should 

 be thrown to the lower side ; and when the whole, 

 or any part, of the excavation consists of earth or 

 gravel, it ought to be spread over the whole mossy 

 surface, whether the field be morass or drier hill- 

 peat : this would be useful in consolidating it, and 

 in preventing too great exhaustion of moistiue in 

 severe droughts, from which vegetation in moss-soil 

 suffers so much. Even though planting were not 

 intended, this fluting and top-dressing would facili- 

 tate the raising of the gramineae. These ditches, 

 when the ground is not too stoney, or too moist, or 

 containing roots, might be scooped out, excepting a 

 little help at the bottom, by means of a scoop-sledge, 

 or levelhng box, worked by a man and two horses, 

 the smface being always loosened by the common 

 plough : one of these will remove earth as fast as 

 twenty men with wheelbarrows. 



ON BENDING AND KNEEING LARCH. 



We cannot too forcibly inculcate the urgent ne- 

 cessity of attending to the bending of the larch : 

 for om- country's interest, we almost regret we can- 

 not compel it. In all larch plantations, in proper 



