20 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



trict the Spanish Chestnut rarely ripens its seeds, and the Beech 

 produces a very scant crop, but both trees grow into large-sized 

 sound timber-trees sooner than others. The Chestnut makes a 

 fine clean trunk in a plantation, and is almost as good to sell as 

 Oak of a certain size. The Beech is one of the best shade-bearers, 

 but it smothers everything else when it is allowed to become the 

 dominant tree. These two trees and the Oak, Ash, Elm, Lime, 

 Sycamore, Birch, Alder, Wild Cherry, Scotch Fir, Larch, Corsican 

 and Austrian Pines (Pinus Laricio and P. austriaca) all grow 

 well up to at least 1,000 feet above the sea under plantation 

 culture — that is in pretty thick plantations. In the high inland 

 districts of South Yorkshire the Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga 

 Douglasi) and the common Spruce are failures, except in sheltered 

 valleys and ravines. In planting waste lands I do not advise 

 any further expense to be incurred in preparation except draining 

 (where necessary), fencing, and protection from game. The 

 venture will not stand anything but the most economical meal 

 sures. Nor in planting the trees are big pits or holes necessary. 

 Provided the young trees are got up with good roots and quickly 

 transferred from the nursery to the plantation, they may be 

 planted with a dibble or a narrow planting spade, letting the 

 roots straight down and wedging them up tight in the natural 

 soil as it is. I have had some of the worst and most exposed 

 ground in England to deal with, and I am also confident that if 

 all kinds of Conifers are planted between the middle of Septem- 

 ber and the middle of November, or, failing that period, then in 

 March, April, and May, there will be very few losses anywhere. 

 The notch system of planting is bad. A young tree's roots soon 

 spread out on all sides, and all that is needed in planting is to 

 fix the roots in their natural position as quickly as possible. 

 Planted at the seasons named, and in the way described, the 

 Corsican Pine — perhaps the very worst transplanter known — will 

 do just as well as the hardy Scotch Fir. Plant the same tree 

 at midwinter, from a strange nursery, in any way you think best, 

 and the probability is that at least 50 per cent, will die the first 

 year. 



The kinds of timber-trees most suitable for planting for 

 profit consist of those just named, and their probable ultimate 

 value to the grower in any locality should determine the propor- 

 tion of each to be planted, and the foregoing tables may be of 



