48 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



their neighbours, we not only copy Nature's method in the 

 closest possible manner, but also gain the advantage of allowing 

 the encroaching trees to add to their bulk before they are finally 

 removed. Of course, where the crowns of the latter are so weak 

 and small that further increase would be improbable, no advan- 

 tage would be gained in retaining, and no harm done in remov- 

 ing them altogether. But in taking out a tree with a crown 

 sufficiently large to leave a gap behind it, we favour an irregular 

 growth of crown in the surrounding trees, and this means rough 

 timber. The entrance of sun and wind also has bad effects, and 

 should be guarded against as much as possible. For these 

 reasons, therefore, we advocate the first thinning or cutting back 

 of branches to be done (where required) about the tenth or 

 twelfth year after planting, according to the species and growth. 

 For this purpose an intelligent man should go through the planta- 

 tion, and with a light hedge-bill knock off the heads of the 

 least promising trees in all places where the crop has too even 

 and uniform an appearance. This will not prevent them from 

 forming a new leader ; but by the time they have done so the 

 others will have gained a lead they are not likely to lose, and 

 that is all that is required. The next thinning may be carried 

 out on similar principles about the twentieth year, and any dead 

 or suppressed trees may also be removed. These two thinnings 

 should suffice until height-growth culminates, beyond which our 

 imaginary plantation has not advanced. 



We have now to look at the conditions under which the 

 further development of the trees and the thickening of the stems 

 takes place. For a few years the gradual suppression of the 

 second and third class trees will still be carried on by the dominant 

 ones, but more slowly than heretofore, as, being larger, they are 

 not so easily disposed of, and the growth of all classes proceeds 

 less rapidly. The crowns of the trees will also begin to lose 

 their conical, and assume a more or less semi-spherical, outline. 

 This will increase the leaf area, and lateral branches will push 

 out and fill up any open space within their reach. By the time 

 height-growth has practically terminated the dominant trees 

 will be left in undisturbed possession, and their whole energies 

 will be devoted to crown formation. The larger the latter the 

 better will the stem be nourished, but the actual increase of 

 the clear bole in volume will depend upon its length and crown 



