GROWING GOLD. 



47 



and also the owners of estates and their agents, 

 have been the dupes of the nurserymen, who 

 have uniformly recommended the pine class 

 and other trees which produce timber inferior 

 to the Common British Oak. On whom the 

 blame rests for having in the first instance 

 advised the mixture of so many kinds of trees, 

 it is unimportant to inquire, but a universal 

 adoption of the plan is a matter of astonish- 

 ment. Many acres of pines have been 

 planted for game covers, and the practice is 

 continued, although it is not the best arrange- 

 ment that could be made, inasmuch as when 

 the tops of such trees ascend to ten or twelve 

 feet, the lower branches die off, and then the , 

 game are as much exposed as if there were no 

 trees. 



The wood agents have followed the practice 

 of their forefathers in thinning the old woods, 

 utterly regardless of the young trees springing 

 spontaneously amongst the old ones, and 

 which they have cleared away with the under- 

 wood : hence the system has worn itself out. 



