282 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



must be allowed an easy slope, so that falling in may be avoided, and 

 also to allow of cleaning or scouring out when necessary. 



Where the ground is steep the drains should be cut obliquely 

 across, never directly down the declivity. 



Roadmaking. — Where the plantations are of large size a most 

 necessary work in connexion with the formation, and one which 

 will add materially to their value, is the construction of suitable 

 roads for the removal of timber and general working of the woodland. 

 On level ground parallel roads at suitable distances apart and con- 

 verging to convenient and readily accessible points are desirable, 

 but on hilly and broken ground the general contour must be taken 

 into account, and the readiest way for the removal of timber carefully 

 considered. But in any case the direction of roads should be deter- 

 mined early, and before the general formation of the ground is hidden 

 by the growth of the young trees, although it may not be essential 

 to lay these down permanently at such a date, the work being deferred 

 until the inclemency of the weather puts a stop to planting operations. 

 Neither is it necessary that such roads should be of a costly nature, 

 as in many instances capital tracks for the removal of timber have 

 been formed by simply opening a ditch on one or probably both 

 sides of the roadway and levelling the surface inequalities. The 

 roads should be 18 feet wide and their numbers regulated by the area 

 of the woodland, while minor roads for the removal of thinnings and 

 general management of the trees can be cut out when this branch 

 of management is to be taken in hand. 



If the principal roadway is intended for carriage traffic it may 

 be necessary to expend more time and money on its construction; 

 for timber removal the foregoing will, however, fall in with general 

 requirements. 



Planting. — Three methods of tree-planting are usually employed 

 — pitting, notching, and inserting by means of the planting iron. 

 The advantages, however, of pitting over any other system of planting 

 cannot be questioned, and this is particularly the case with land that 

 has hitherto been uncultivated. W T hen compared with any other 

 system of planting young trees, pitting is, no doubt, more expensive, 

 but the results obtained are most satisfactory, and warrant the extra 

 outlay. 



When at all convenient, the pits should be opened for some time 

 before planting is engaged in, as the exposure of the soil to the weather 

 is highly beneficial. The pits should be made circular or square, 

 and about 18 inches in diameter, and 12 inches deep, the soil at the 

 bottom of each pit being loosened by the spade or pick. This refers 

 to land that has not before been under cultivation ; but in the case 

 of recently cropped land, the pits may be proportionately smaller, 

 according to the looseness of the soil. Pitting is often performed by 

 contract at a fixed price, the amount varying, according to the hardness 

 of tne soil, from is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. a hundred. 



The surface turf, where such is present, should be removed and 



