^16 



NOTICES OF AUTHORS. 



and for several years afterwards. We have found, 

 when very adhesive suhsoil was brought upward, 

 that the trees throve well while the ground conti- 

 nued under cultivation ; but when the labour ceased, 

 they w^re soon overtaken by those planted at the 

 same time without trenching. This comparative 

 falling off was evidently owing to the surface being 

 rendered more adhesive by the gluey plastic subsoil 

 being mixed upward with the original small portion 

 of surface-mould. This new surface melted to a 

 pulp by the winter rains, when drought set in in 

 spring, run together, became indurated, and parting 

 into divisions, admitted the drought down to the 

 unstirred ground by numerous deep and wide cracks, 

 which rent the rootlets of the trees, and rendered it 

 impossible for any plant to thrive. There are also 

 many kinds of light subsoil, which it would be folly 

 to bring to the surface, and where little profit would 

 arise from deep stirring, even though the surface 

 were retained uppermost. 



In cases where the plants were very small, we have 

 found deep trenching of no benefit, but in certain 



also profit fully as much by raising apple timber of proper fast 

 grown variety, as by any other timber ; and have it in our power 

 to sell this timber to machine-makers at double the price of oak of 

 the same size. 



