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ON THE MANAGEMENT OF FOREST TREES. 
and diverse have been the seasons recommended for planting trees, because, with great 
care, and under favourable conditions, success has in many cases attended the most oppo- 
site practices. Some have moved trees when in full leaf, and others during the rigour of 
intense frost ; such are rather to be viewed as exceptions to the rule : but how often has the 
person, who has accomplished a feat of this kind, dogmatically insisted upon his course 
being the only right one ; and how often have those who have attempted to follow out a 
similar method, failed from untoward circumstances of season, &c. 
There can be no doubt but that the autumn months are those in which success is most 
certain to attend the planter, on all soils which are moderately mellow and dry. The 
sooner after the leaves have performed their functions the better ; say, the beginning of 
November for deciduous trees, and October for evergreens. This period of the year is 
confirmed as the best for the following reasons : — The accumulated warmth of the earth 
still remains in sufficient quantity to gently stimulate the roots to action, and form 
granulated processes, which ultimately generate rootlets wherever injury has occurred ; 
during these months the air is almost saturated with moisture, and there is, therefore, 
but a small drain on the scanty resources of the removed tree, as compared with one 
planted in the spring, when the earth is colder, and the influence of the prevailing winds 
desiccating and withering to the tender tissues of incipient vegetation. 
We cannot too strongly urge our readers to keep in view these important facts, for 
such they are ; and we assure them that we are convinced, from a long course of practice, 
that all other seasons are comparatively ineligible as compared with the autumnal months. 
5thly. The Manner in which Planting should be Performed. — That many of our 
hardy trees are very tenacious of life, and are capable of enduring very rough treatment, 
and even succeed under the most untoward circumstances, is not to be disputed ; but this 
must rather be regarded as an exception than as affecting general principles of culture. 
The roots of trees to be transplanted should receive the least possible amount of injury 
in removal, as their extreme points are of the greatest importance. In planting them, 
after cutting off the injured parts, the roots should be carefully spread out in the position 
which Nature destined for them, the horizontal ones near the surface; and where it is 
thought proper to retain the tap-root a small hole should be made for its vertical insertion. 
We know that many insist upon the necessity of preserving this main root in the Oak ; and 
for that reason it is frequently raised from acorns ; but we have seen splendid woods of 
Oaks, of some centuries’ standing, in which tablets are preserved stating that they were 
planted. Life is too brief for personal experiment in this case, but probability is in favour 
of the opinion that those monarclis of our ancient forests which are still extant, were 
raised from chance seeds ; be this, however, as it may, we regard the preservation of this 
organ as very important in giving support to heavy-topped trees, such as the Pinaster and 
its allies. The ground should be moderately dry for this operation, but a humid atmosphere 
should prevail. In dry harsh weather, the excessive perspiration has a very injurious 
effect on newly planted trees. 
Planting too deeply is a most common and prevalent error, the stem of the tree is 
thrust into a hole, and the soil compressed round it, to give it stability ; but Nature has 
assigned to the roots, the stem, the branches, and the leaves, distinct and peculiar func- 
tions, and when man covers up the stem with earth, he is thwarting her wise intentions, 
instead of aiding and assisting her processes. 
6thly. Adaptation of the Trees to the Soil. — To plant, in its common acceptation, is 
merely to carelessly thrust into the soil a number of trees, without any consideration as to 
their future utility or effect, or their fitness to thrive in the situations in which they are 
placed. We have frequently seen Oaks planted in dry, sandy soil, where the Larch grows 
admirably ; and we have, after a course of years, seen the finest Larches cut down (being 
then worth treble the value of the Oaks), and this, because the ignorant woodman has a 
most national feeling of veneration for this valuable tree, and supposes that at some inde- 
finite period these will be Oaks. This may serve to show, in its proper light, the importance 
of well considering, at first planting, whether the kinds of trees about to be introduced are 
such as will prove most profitable, in a given soil, in any certain number of years. It 
