292 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK I. the rapacious birds, which are very apt to pull them up, by taking hold 

 ^'^'"'(''^ of that little infecund part of the seed, which they commonly bear upon 

 their tops. The beds wherein you sow them had need to be sheltered 

 from the southern aspects, with some screen of reed, or thick hedge : Sow 

 them in shallow rills, not above half an inch deep, and cover them with 

 fine light mould ; being risen a finger in height, establish their weak 



" does in general that of all trees ; but as these trees never put out any new shoots where 

 " they are pruned, so they suffer more from amputation than those which do. 



" In those parts of France where they have forests of these trees, the proprietors always 

 " bestow their fagots upon those who give the first pruning to their young trees, for their 

 " labour ; so it costs them no money. At the second pruning, the proprietor has one-third 

 " of the fagots, and the dressers have the other two for their work ; and afterwards the 

 " fagots are equally divided between the workmen and proprietors ; but there must be 

 "great care taken that they do not cut off more than they ought. 



" In about twelve or fourteen years these will require no more pruning, for their upper 

 " branches will kill those below where they have not air ; but soon after this, if the plants 

 " have made good progress, it may be necessary to thin them ; and this should be gradually 

 "performed, beginning in the middle of the plantation first, leaving the outside close 

 " to screen those within from the cold, so by degrees coming to them at last, whereby 

 " those which were first thinned will have had time to get strength, so will not be in 

 " danger of suffering from the admission of cold air. When these plantations are thinned, 

 " the trees should not be dug up, but their stems cut off close to the ground ; for their 

 " roots never shoot again, but decay in the earth, so there can no harm arise by leaving 

 " them, and hereby the roots of the remaining plants are not injured. The trees which 

 " are now cut will be fit for many purposes : Those which are straight will make good 

 " putlocks for the bricklayers, and serve for scaffolding poles ; so that there may be as much 

 " made by the sale of these, as will defray the whole expense of the planting, and pro* 

 " bably the interest of the money besides. 



"As the upright growth of these trees renders their wood the more valuable, they should 

 " be left pretty close together, whereby they will draw each other up, and grow very tall. 

 " I have seen some of these trees growing, whose naked stems have been more than seventy 

 " feet high, and as straight as a walking-cane ; and from one of these trees there were as 

 " many boards sawed, as laid the floor of a room near twenty feet square. — If these trees 

 " are left eight feet asunder each way, it will be sufficient room for their growth ; there- 

 " fore if, at the firgt thinning, a fourth part of the trees are taken away, the others may 

 " stand twelve or fourteen years longer, by which time they will be of a size for making 

 " ladders and standards for scaffolding, and many other purposes ; so that, from this sale, 

 " as much may be made, as not only to pay the remaining part of the expensg of planting, 

 " if any should be wanting in the first, but rent for the land with interest." 



Although this long extract may not perfectly coincide with the sentiments of every 

 planter of Pines, yet, in general, I think it will be of use. The following letter, addressed 



