The Beech. 



If the trees were planted four or five feet apart, tliey might 

 be thinned out as they grew up, so as to leave them, at last, 

 from ten to twenty feet apart. In this state they grow to a 

 great height, and form very beautiful woods, especially 

 where the land is chalky, or where there is a light loam 

 with a sandy sort of stone beneath. As to cutting down 

 the trees the year after the planting, and as to the 

 PRUNING see first, paragraph 127; and, in this place, once 

 for all, I will remark that all DECIDUOUS TREES, 

 ought to be cut down as directed in that paragraph. If 

 intended for underwood, all the shoots that thus come out 

 of the stem ought to remain; but if intended for timber 

 trees, they ought to be kept to one shoot ; that is to say, all 

 the shoots that come out except one, and that one the 

 strongest, ought to be cut away soon after they come out. 

 It will generally happen, that there will be a piece of the 

 stem sticking out above the point where this shoot comes 

 out. That piece of the stem ought to be pared away with 

 a knife, down to the point where the shoot issues. The 

 shoot will then grow over it, and, at the end of the second 

 year, you will not perceive that there ever has been a cut 

 in the stem. Beeches, and generally all trees not intended 

 for underwood, should be carefully pruned of their bottom 

 side slioot» as they grow up, taking care always to cut off the 

 shoots close to the steu), and with a sharp knife. You 

 ought to begin pruning in the autumn after the fourth 

 summer's growth, cutting off the lower side shoots, and 

 leaving those of the last three years' growth ; and this you 

 ought to continue to do, till you have a clear stem of the 

 length you wish to have it. This is work very easily per- 

 formed; the whole plantation ought to be gone over 

 regularly, from one end to the other ; and the prunings 

 may be tied up in bundles, and will then pay for the 

 expense of the labour. 



