[5 6

(ion 3; and the young larches bear no mark whatever of having been injured'by them. Black cattle have been excluded.

1 |

The beſt trees for nusfſing others.--From what I have already mentioned, it is natural to ſuppoſe, that the planting of the Scotch Hr has been entirely given up. And the good effe& of that meaſure has been found in the growth of the plantations of later date.

The larch being. deciduous, is.not a good nurſe; and, from its quick growth, it is probable, that it is a great robber of the nouriſhment of other trees. From my own experience, I have no heßfitation in ſaying, that the ſpruce is to be preferred beyond all the other trees as a nurſe. L have thouſands of inſtances of oaks and elms grow- ing up uninjured in the boſom of ſpruces. The fad is moſt material; and reafoning at the ſame time ſupports it. The deciduous trees which I have mentioned, ſend their roots downwards, particularly the oak. The ſpruce ſpreads its roots on the ſur- face. Their nouriſhment is drawn from different ſources. And the longer the oak grows, the more it derives its nouriſhment from a depth z conſequently, the leſs it. interferes with the ſpruce. This laſt riſes in a regular and very pointed cone, ſo that it leaves full-ſpace for the ſpreading top of the oak. The ſpruce is thickly leaved, and its branches of 2 ſtrong unpliable nature 3; conſequently, it gives much protection, and does little„injury to its neighbour: and it is very much feathered and buſhy at the root, ſo that it protedts the foreſt-tree from being wind-waved. The larch, on the contrary, is naked of leaves during the worſt of the ſeaſon: its boughs are thin and pliable. It laſhes the neighbouring tree unmercifully; and 1s in a condition, from its nakedneſs, to make every laſh be felt juſt at.the time when its neighbour be- gins to ſpring: and it has no peculiar thickneſs at the bottom, to proted the other from wind-waving. It might be ſuppoſed, that the Glver-fir would make as good a nurſe as the ſpruce. In point of fa&, I have not obſerved that the foreſt-tree grows ſo kindly with this as with the ſpruce: and it may be obſerved, that the filver-fir is Dot ſo thoroughly leaved as the ſpruce. The ſides of the bough only are covered with leaves 3 and the tree itſelf is not ſo well clothed, eſpecially near the ſurſace of the earth,

Trees covered with moſs.=-Nothing is more diſagreeable to the ſight, or more inju- rious to the tree, than moſs. It is the effect of damp. Conſequent]y, wet ſoil, too much thickneſs in the wood, and damp ſtrong graſs, produce it. It ſeems, in moſt caſes, to be generated over the tree, from a collection'of it firſt formed at the root: and I am ſure, from my own experience, that this has originated from a ſtrong, wet, matted graſs being permitted to grow rank in tlie plantations, and having its bad qualities increaſed by the loppings-which I am under the neceſſity of leaving to rot in the wood. The cheapneſs of coal in the neighbourhood, makes it ruinouſly expenſive to carry away thoſe loppings. Where this thick graſs does not exiſt, but the graſs is cut, and the wood kept elear and well-thinned, no moſs appears« Where the caſe 1s otherwiſe, the moſs bas grown in ſome inſtances, but never till the tree has arrived at the age of 20 or 25 years(unleſs the ground has been damp, and not ſufhiciently drained); and then it has uniformly begun by a quantity of moſs gathering at the root,