52 



underneath ; there should not only be fine trees, but also, I 

 tnay say, children and grand-children rising up to supply 

 their places when vacant by death : where underwood will not 

 grow, I will venture to affirm that the trees are too near each 

 other. I have never given a tree so much room that I have 

 had occasion to repent of it ; it has increased so much in bulk 

 that I have been induced to use the axe with even more free- 

 dom the following year. In cutting out trees I profit in 

 two w&ys, — first, by the value of the trees I take away 

 and sell ; secondly, by the greatly improved value of those 

 which remain on the ground. Where all are allowed to remain 

 as they were planted, there is present loss and future ruin. 

 After thirty, or sometimes fifty years, they will only con- 

 tinue to exist so long as they assist and support each other. 

 Divested of their lateral branches and leaves, they are 

 deprived, as it were, of their lungs, and are barely kept in a 

 lingering state of existence by the few top-most shoots, that 

 in the struggle for life have forced their way to the light. 

 When at this age some are taken away, the remainder — long 

 consumptive-looking poles — if able to stand, only drag on a 

 miserable existence, but most likely fall an easy prey to the 

 first blast. 



The healthy tree thrusts out its roots in greater number 

 and to greater distances, and is thus enabled to extract 

 nourishment from a greater extent and depth of soil than can 

 ever be reached by the sickly plant ; it expands larger and 

 more numerous leaves, and can thus extract from the air 

 a greater quantity of the food which is fitted to supply the 

 wants of the living vegetable. It must be obvious, that if 

 plants are closely crowded together, their roots must go to 

 the same place for nourishment, which they will soon ex- 

 haust, and therefore become more or less starved, while their 

 branches and leaves, by continually interfering, must prevent 

 the free circulation of the air. When a number of young 



