284 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



leaf, which usually takes place in the second or third week of October, 

 according to season. 



Local Nurseries. — The formation of local or temporary nurseries 

 on or near the site of the intended plantations is strongly recom- 

 mended, and has been attended with the most satisfactory results 

 when dealing with high-lying and exposed mountain lands both in 

 Scotland and Wales. It is well known that too sudden a change 

 from rich, well-sheltered nursery borders to bare, exposed hillsides 

 often proves fatal to young plants, and when we bear in mind that 

 public nurseries are rarely situated at a great elevation, the necessity 

 of specially rearing stock that is to be planted at 1,000 feet and up- 

 wards above sea level will readily be understood. There are certain 

 difficulties to contend with in planting high-lying grounds that are 

 often of poor quality, and in dealing with such the advantage of using 

 hardy plants that have been reared at a fair altitude will be apparent 

 to all. The formation of local nurseries on the site of intended planta- 

 tions is, therefore, to be strongly recommended and would do away 

 with many of the evils just mentioned. 



Seed-sowing and the general treatment of the young plants should 

 be similar to that carried out in our home or public nurseries, but 

 as the young trees are of comparatively slower growth at the higher 

 altitude, they should remain for a year longer in the nursery before 

 being planted out permanently. 



Trees to plant. — In any large afforesting scheme no doubt the 

 larch, spruce, Scotch, Corsican and Weymouth pines will be commonly 

 planted. They are all adapted for high-lying exposed ground, and 

 produce a large amount of comparatively valuable timber. The 

 choice of trees is a most important point, but one that, unfortunately, 

 is often lost sight of in the formation of plantations. Travel where 

 one will, plantations that are comparatively valueless, from a com- 

 mercial point of view, are to be found, and these, too, occupying 

 positions where other and much more valuable timber-producing 

 trees could be cultivated. Too often also, whether from wishing 

 to obtain trees at the smallest cost or from a mistaken idea that if 

 one kind does not succeed another will, mixed trees of the worthless 

 type for timber-producing purposes are included in young plantations. 

 Nowadays it is quite well known which particular species of tree is 

 suitable for planting on soil of a special kind, so that there is no 

 justification for the haphazard method of including mixed lots on the 

 plea that one or other will suit the soil. Also, it is the falsest economy 

 to buy poor, rubbishy and defective plants under the pretext of 

 cheapness. The very best — well-rooted, stiff, sturdy, clean young 

 trees — should alone be chosen, even at a higher cost, instead of such 

 as are at all defective and unlikely to succeed. 



Defective methods of planting must, too, be guarded against ; 

 indeed, in forming a plantation the utmost care is necessary to ensure 

 that every operation is carried out on an approved principle, and by 

 those who are practically acquainted with the work. Most trees 



