Chapter II: Part 2

As I have stated before, the infancy of a wood, or plantation, is the only time when it cannot be expected to pay. After it has arrived at a certain age, say from fifteen to twenty years, it ought to begin to make _some_ return. In woods, if they are properly planted, it will necessarily be small during the first two cycles of twenty years each. It must be observed, that I am here speaking of the first forty years of an _Ancient_ Wood, supposing it to have been thoroughly purged of its rubbish, retaining all the valuable stock, and to have been re-planted. The return must be small, because the oaks will have been planted thickly, in order that they may acquire great length of bole: and this being the case, whatever underwood may have been put in, it will be treated with direct reference to the health and prosperity of the entire class of timber trees. After the expiration of the first cycle, that portion of the stuff put in for underwood will be cut over, and such pruning of the oak as may be required (which will be very slight) will be done, care being taken never to lose sight of the principle of _classification of the oaks, into certain families of larger or smaller size, according to the term which a skilful woodman will allot for their entire existence_. This is of immense consequence, and will embrace calculations, and a knowledge of the habits of trees, which can only be acquired by “close observation and long experience.” Where a sufficient number of oaks have been introduced, the _underwood_ will yield very little return per acre, even at the end of the second cycle; but if the wood has been well managed, it will have been kept alive and tolerably healthy; and when it is cut, at the end of forty years, a considerable number of oaks of a useful size for farmers, wheelwrights, &c. will be taken down: this will admit light and air, and in a slight degree, perhaps, improve the position of the underwood during the course of the third cycle.

I need not pursue the subject farther here, having, I trust, succeeded in opening to the reader a general view of the plan which should be pursued. But there are other woods where a larger portion, both of oak and of underwood, will be found, and where, consequently, it will be more the object of the woodman to improve by _less extensive measures_ than would be adopted in such a case as the one just referred to. It will mostly be best to do this by pruning, stubbing, and planting—always supposing that an effectual drainage has been secured—and here I would remark, that whenever planting is done in a wood, it should be as well done as circumstances will possibly allow. Instead of the “nick” system, or any similar plan, the woodman should dig holes for the underwood in the Autumn, and plant in February, or early in March. For oak, he should dig a larger hole, in the Autumn, give it a Summer fallow, and put in a vigorous, stiff plant, the Autumn following, or in the February next but one. If some such plan as this were pursued, there is not much fear but the plants would grow, and in this way woods may be gradually brought into a prosperous state, instead of their being, as they now are, in the aggregate, a _comparatively_ valueless property to their owners.

I may here illustrate my view by a reference to a particular case, which came under my professional notice. It was a wood held on lease by a gentleman, under an ecclesiastical body, the lease being for a certain number of years, renewable upon the payment of a fine every seven years. Some dissatisfaction was felt by the lessee at the amount of the fines demanded, and the lease was permitted to _lapse_, at which time the intrinsic value of the stock, whether of timber or _underwood_, was literally nothing. The oak was all gone, as it was quite natural that, with a lease so framed, it should be, and the underwood, instead of being usefully and beneficially occupying the ground, of which it then had _entire possession_, was not worth the trouble of cutting! How different would have been the position of the lessors in this instance, I need not say, if, during the two last cycles, when the oaks were becoming very thinly scattered, the underwood had been cherished, as it most undoubtedly ought to have been. The neighbourhood was one where there was plenty of demand for the produce of woods; the particular wood referred to, would have been, on every account, as good a cover, and all parties would have been alike interested in the continuance of the lease.

But as I must now very shortly bring such of my “Remarks” as refer to “Ancient Woods,” to a close, it may be as well just to run over the whole subject in a recapitulary form, so as to present it to the reader in a sort of bird’s-eye view.

I have, then, endeavoured to show, that the present state of the Ancient Woods of this kingdom is very far from what it ought to be, and fully proves that their owners have paid little attention to them: that they are almost valueless to them, simply and only for want of better management: that they are capable of such a degree of improvement as would insure from them a fair, reasonable return: I have endeavoured to show this by contrasting the plans of woodmen, if they can be said to have any, with those which, in my judgment, ought to be pursued; and I am not aware that I have, upon any one point, exposed the errors of their course, without suggesting that which I conceive would be the right one. It is quite impossible, however, to lay down in a book like this, or in any other, specific rules or directions which shall constitute a sufficient guide for the manager of woods, out of the difficulties of a false position, or enable him to reform the errors of a vicious practice: for, first, not one woodman in fifty would be convinced, by any process of reasoning, that the present state of woods is so bad as I have described it to be; and if they would not admit the existence of the evil, they would not be likely to perceive the value of any remedial measures that might be recommended. Next: a difficulty would every where present itself, if woods were improperly treated, from the woodman feeling that the introduction of any new plans would, necessarily, involve the condemnation of his own. Besides all this, as I have remarked before, so many things have to be considered as to the state of a wood, before a safe opinion could be given as to the best course to be taken with it, that nothing less than a minute examination, affording the opportunity of duly weighing all the circumstances of each particular case, would justify any man in suggesting a specific course.

In proof of this, I would offer the example of a wood which I will suppose to be of forty years standing, and to have been started with as many oak plants as would suffice to insure a sufficient number of timber trees, possessing ample length of bole, or stem. Upon the plan of management which I have suggested, there would be, at the second cutting of the under wood, a certain number of oaks to cut out also, and from the stools of these, there would start young shoots, which, if _properly dealt with_, would, with those which would spring from every subsequent cutting, furnish a succession of timber trees; but if no care were taken in _nursing_ them, the probability is, that they would be unfit for timber, and that it would therefore be necessary, occasionally, to introduce a small number of maiden plants, even as early as the expiration of the second cycle.

CHAP. II.

PLANTATIONS.

In order to afford some facility to the reader in perusing what I may write, I shall divide what I have to say into several distinct heads; and, first, as to the

Present Modes of Planting.

Much may, and probably ought, to be said, on the errors of bad planters: it is indeed a prolific, as well as an important subject; and if there were any solid ground on which to rest a hope that an exposure of all the mistakes which are made in planting, would lead to the abandonment of such plans and practices as would be shown to be wrong, it would be a duty worthy the exercise of talents of the highest order. It does not, however, absolutely _require_ the aid of brilliant talent, or fervid eloquence, to place these matters in their proper light before those who are most concerned; a plain reference to facts will be quite sufficient for that purpose.

The case of an Ancient Wood in an unthrifty and unprofitable condition, does not stand out so prominently—it is not so glaringly discreditable to its owner, as is a Plantation in the same state, which has been made by himself; for as to the former, the fact that “_it always was so_,” is, to a certain extent, an excuse for bad management; and in truth, it will generally be found a very difficult affair, as I have hinted before, to establish a _new system_ where the prejudice of ages, in favour of an _old one_, will meet the person who may attempt it, at every turn; but it is not so as to Plantations; when, therefore, a gentleman decides to plant, and has himself to do with the work _from the beginning_, both his interest, and his duty, point out the necessity of his seeing that it be _well done_; but the very reverse of this, is the _average_ of the general practice, as I shall presently show. It would be quite foreign to my purpose, to refer to the minor shades of difference which exist in the practice of planters: such difference indeed may be met with, between plans which are each in themselves excellent; I shall content myself, therefore, with referring, and that in general terms, to the most glaring mistakes which are committed, giving a few examples.

To an eye that can take in the whole, it is lamentable to see the effects of ignorance and neglect, in the original formation, as well as in the subsequent treatment, of Plantations! With many, it seems to be expected that they will thrive and prosper, no matter how they may be put in, whereas the very contrary is the fact. With many planters there is a vague, indefinite notion—of course there is no _calculation_—that when once they are planted, trees will grow, not only without labour or culture, but under such adverse circumstances as at once convince the experienced planter of the utter impossibility of their doing so. As I have elsewhere said, a _young_ child, a _young_ animal, and a _young_ tree, all require the greatest possible attention, and the tenderest treatment; and the blighting effects which must result, and which do result, from _the absence of early attention_, are to be seen quite as strongly marked in the last, as in the other two.

In numerous instances—and this I shall call mistake the first—the trees are put in without any _previous preparation of the soil_. It is not possible, in the ordinary run of cases, to commit a greater error than this. It is, emphatically, to build upon a bad foundation, and it is very rarely indeed that Plantations, so commenced, ever make any thing out. When I say this, I do not mean to assert that they never become trees of any size: _unfortunately they do_, in some situations, and men are so ignorant—there is so little real scientific knowledge of the subject to be met with anywhere—that the most erroneous conclusions are drawn from this fact. The question as to what a Plantation might have done, or what it _would_ have done, if it had been properly treated, is never thought of! No one ever dreams of instituting a comparison between such a Plantation as _it is_, and _as it ought to have been_. And yet this is the very first question which should be asked, or rather which should be _anticipated_.

But the majority of Plantations, which are commenced without any preparation of the soil, are complete failures, as may be seen by any one who chooses to take the trouble to examine for himself.

Influenced by a most mistaken notion of economy, many persons plant their trees on land which is already fully occupied—it may be, by ling, by bracken, or by long grass, or twitch—and in most cases of this sort, the greater number die; but there may probably remain a few which sustain a feeble existence, so as just to make _a show of a Plantation_, and the owner seldom gives himself the trouble to attempt to ascertain why it is no better. The method usually adopted, when planting is done in this way, is, to dig small holes at fixed distances, into which the plants are put by the workman in the best manner that he can, and they are left to fight their way as best they may.

Mr. Withers, of Holt, in Norfolk, has ably, and indignantly, denounced the hole-digging system, and has shown, most clearly, the advantage of “_the highest degree of culture_,” for raising timber, whether as a pecuniary question, or where it is wanted for merely ornamental purposes. It is true that an opinion at variance with his, has been given by some, but every practical man will, at once, perceive where the truth lies; nor will he be at any loss, whether, in the preparation of a field for planting, to follow the directions of Sir Henry Steuart, or those of Mr. Withers.

It was the practice of the latter gentleman, to trench his ground from “fourteen to eighteen inches deep,” and on poor land, to “put on as much manure as if turnips were intended to be sown,” and to hoe and keep clean the land, _for seven years after planting_. The results were, extraordinary rapidity of growth, and a consequent early and ample return upon the capital invested, in addition to the full accomplishment of an object, which is, of course, ardently desired by every planter: viz.: the pleasure of seeing rapidly rise up before him, a healthy and most promising race of trees.

The second mistake which I shall notice is a very common one; and is committed by those who _prepare the land well, but, by a bad selection of plants_, either as to age, or kind, or both, render success impossible. The error as to _age_ consists, most frequently, in their being _too old_: that as to the _kind_, in not choosing such as _are adapted_ to the nature of the soil.

A third class of planters may be met with, who, to a certain extent, avoid all the mistakes previously referred to, but who commit the unaccountable blunder of throwing the various kinds promiscuously together, without any _regard to congeniality as to the plants_; and in this case, the trees that are really valuable are overtopped, and mastered by a set of _worthless trash_, which, when full grown, are hardly worth the trouble of cutting down. _When a Plantation is made in this barbarous manner, and left in this state for twenty years, or even less_, no subsequent efforts, however sound the judgment which is exercised may be, can _wholly_ repair the mischief which is done. By this mistake, an immense loss of property accrues to the proprietor, and the worst of all is, that the trite consolation is not left him, that what is “his loss, is another’s gain,” for here nobody is benefitted; while to himself there is superadded the mortification of a _loss of time_, “which no man can restore.”

That the strong language which I have here employed is fully justified, will at once be admitted by every reflecting person, who has any acquaintance with these matters; for it will appear at the outset, that if a slow-growing tree is planted close to one which will grow half as fast again, and if the slow grower is the tree _intended for timber_, the latter must inevitably be so much damaged as to affect its health for ever, if something be not done to relieve it.

I shall not, in this place, “remark” more particularly on this point, than to say, that I have often seen the oak in this relative position, with the alder, the birch, the poplar, the larch, and other trees.

To imagine that a comparatively slow-growing tree can be placed in near contiguity with another whose rate of progress is much quicker, _without_ receiving injury, is to manifest a want of knowledge of the habits of trees, which may be excused in an amateur planter, but which cannot be overlooked in a practical man, who is well paid for his services.

A fourth error which is committed, is one upon which I have slightly touched already, and refers to the question of _adaptation of the kind of tree planted_, first, to _the nature of the soil planted upon_, and next, _if the object of the planter be profit, to the local demand_.

Most serious mistakes have been committed upon both these points, even by men whose writings have procured them a niche in the Temple of Fame. Under this head a few cases will now be referred to.

It is impossible, at this distance of time, to fix the exact amount of blame, or responsibility, which of right attaches itself to the name of _Pontey_, for instance, who planted an immense tract of land near Lincoln, belonging to that splendid charity, Christ’s Hospital: tradition, which, however, may do him injustice, accuses him of having contracted to plant with Larch and Oak, and having, on some pretence or other, substituted Scotch Fir.

Whatever was the precise amount of _responsibility_ attaching to him, I know not; he might be following out the letter of his instructions, for ought that I can tell, but it is quite certain that, even with the then imperfect knowledge which was possessed of the value of larch, _a very great mistake_ was committed, in planting nearly a thousand acres of land, which was well adapted both for oak and larch, with profitless rubbish like that which is now seen upon it. A work of that magnitude ought not to have been intrusted to any one who, either from mercenary motives, or from limited views, was capable of falling into such a gross error, as to the interests of his employers. It is no exaggeration to say, that if the Skellingthorpe Plantation had been planted, as it ought to have been, with oak and larch, together with a few spruce firs, and if Pontey had left _suitable instructions with those who had to take care of it, after his superintendence had ceased_, it would now have been, at the most moderate computation, _fifteen hundred per cent. more valuable than it is_!

If it were _private property_, I should not presume to add what I now feel myself at perfect liberty to do, with reference to its present condition, and the future prospect respecting it.

It is at present, almost universally, a _Scotch Fir Plantation_: these are of a most miserable size, compared with what they might have been, under good management, and they are withal very coarse. There may be seen amongst them, just Larches enough to perpetuate the folly of the original planter; and to excite, at his periodical sales, the keen regret of the present Steward, that he has not more of them to sell. There are also a few oaks, of such quality as fully to prove that they would have thriven well—had they been planted. Further: the Scotch firs are so thick, and they are _feathered down so low_, that the Plantation is not _healthy_. It is true that, under the present _much improved_ management, an attempt is being made to remedy this evil, and it is quite clear, that the condition of the trees will gradually be bettered, but the misfortune is—and here I come to speak of the _prospects_ of the Plantation—that _they are not worth culture_. I have no hesitation in stating this to be my deliberate opinion. The timber, if timber it can be called, is worth almost _nothing now_, and, in such a locality, I can see no probability of its ever realizing, so as to justify those in whose care it is placed, in continuing it as it is. The plain and obvious course of the managers of this fine estate, then, is _to stub up the Scotch fir, and replant the land with oak and larch_.

In further proof of the propriety of this opinion, I would remark that, in this locality, both oak and larch fetch _very high prices_, and there are probable grounds for expecting that they always will do so; while, if the present race of Scotch firs should stand as long again as they have already stood, they will make comparatively little.

It is not too much to say, that if this Plantation were the property of a private gentleman, the Scotch firs would be extirpated as speedily as possible, and a systematic plan, providing that a certain number of acres should be stubbed and re-planted every year, would at once be laid down; but public bodies are not so easily moved, and it is therefore to be feared, that, in this case, the _public_ will not, for some time to come, derive that benefit from the property, which would certainly be the result of proper management.

The whole might be re-stocked with suitable kinds of trees, without any considerable outlay to the hospital, if arrangements were made with a party capable of carrying out some such comprehensive plan as the following; viz.: An agreement with a responsible person, carefully worded, providing that he should stub, or grub up, a stipulated number of acres at the commencement of a sort of lease, _taking the stuff_, either in part payment, or wholly, if it were _sufficient_: and that he should, on such terms as could be agreed upon, continue to grub up, _and plant_, a specified number of acres every succeeding year.

In twelve years, _if the work were well done_, there would be some return from the _thinnings of the piece first planted_; and the _rate of return_ and profit, would, from that time, _continue to increase_ every year, until an amount would be realized which would much more than equal the largest expectations of the Governors.

I shall only mention one case more, as to the want of adaptation of the kind of tree _to the soil_, and to the local demand, and that is a wood belonging to the Right Honourable Lord Middleton, at Stapleford, near Newark, and which, some years ago, consisted almost entirely of Scotch fir. It is now of an age and size that enables me to cite it in proof of the opinion which I have given, relative to the _prospect_ for the Skellingthorpe Plantation. The timber has arrived at a good marketable size, and is sold at as high a rate as there is any reason to suppose would be made of the Skellingthorpe Scotch, when it shall have reached to the same size. That price is _apparently_ moderate, but it is so inferior in quality, or, perhaps, it is more correct to say, such a bad opinion is formed of it, by most people, that when it is converted into boards or scantling, the price it fetches is so low as to hold out little inducement to Timber merchants to purchase it. And as to the grower, I am persuaded that, if simple interest upon the original investment were to be calculated, up to the time when the wood first began to clear its own expences, and added to the first cost, it would not be found that there is much surplus over the necessary expences of management. At all events it would be seen there, as well as at Skellingthorpe, from the little Larch and Oak which they have had to sell, that the returns are comparatively small to what they would have been, if Larch had first been planted along with Oak. This large Plantation will, in the course of a few years, under the present enlightened and skilful management, to a great extent, be cleared of the Scotch firs; in place of which, the noble proprietor will have _a race of fine oaks_, thus proving, to actual demonstration, the great mistake which was originally committed, in occupying the land with a class of trees which, when they have arrived at _maturity_, are of comparatively little value.

I pass on to remark upon a fifth error. One gentleman will, from motives of economy, _stick in the plants with as little labour as possible_: another will aim at the same result, by putting in fewer, or smaller plants than he ought to do. Both these, and indeed all the parties, who are influenced by the same narrow and shortsighted views, greatly err: these are not the _cheapest_, but the _most expensive_, as well as the worst adapted, modes of planting. To insure a healthy and vigorous _commencement_ to a Plantation, if that is followed up by suitable treatment afterwards, is to secure both rapid progress, and early maturity, and by necessary consequence, the largest possible amount of pecuniary return.

Lastly, as to modes of planting, and without ranging either party among those who are clearly and decidedly _mistaken_ in their views, one class of persons will plant _thickly_, and another class will plant _thinly_, from various motives, but both without paying due regard to the capabilities, and adaptation of the soil, and, as is very natural, in the absence of all calculation, both are frequently subjected to the same result,—either a partial or complete failure of their expectations.

It is neither my purpose, nor is it in my power, to decide, upon paper, what is the best average distance at which the trees of a young Plantation should be placed from each other. Many questions ought to be previously asked, as many very important considerations will present themselves to the mind of a practical man, before he will decide.

In the average of cases, where _planting for profit_ is the object, the question is not one of much practical difficulty; but in many others, the primary purpose, or the ultimate aim, of the planter—the local market—the cost of plants, &c. will claim very special attention.

When the object is to beautify the Landscape, or to produce effect in the immediate vicinity of a Mansion, it will be necessary to set aside ordinary rules, and to depart from _some_ of the recognized principles which ought always to govern, in planting for profit. But even here, nothing should be done, nothing should be attempted, which is not in strict consistence with those general laws which the principles of vegetable physiology impose, alike on a Gentleman who removes a large tree upon the plan recommended by Sir Henry Steuart, and on the practical Planter, who is professionally employed to plant a large tract of country.

It is no part of my business to remark upon the merits of the respective plans which have been tried by different persons, for enriching the scenery of a Park; but I have no difficulty in saying that, where it is well understood and properly carried out, the combination of Sir Henry’s plan, with the judicious arrangement of small Plantations; putting into a well prepared soil, good, stout, well-rooted, and vigorous plants, at a considerable distance, will best effect that object. And as I have referred to Sir Henry Steuart’s method of removing large trees, it will not be out of place here to observe, that the _abuse_ of that plan has very frequently brought it into disrepute, and given birth to the conclusion, that it was not adapted to the end proposed: and thus blame has fallen on the ingenious, skilful, and scientific Baronet, instead of its resting on the heads of those whose “mismanagement” had actually invited the failures which they were doomed to suffer.

Those who have most carefully attended to Sir Henry’s instructions in removing large subjects, will have been most successful; and while they will be the first to admit that the plan is one of very considerable difficulty, and requiring the greatest possible amount of attention; they will be the most powerful and decided witnesses in its favour, for the purposes for which it is here recommended.

But when Plantations on a large scale are desired, and when the planter considers his _posterity_ more than himself, there can be no doubt at all, that, on certain qualities of soil, _tolerably thick_ planting is best. And if it be desired to have a race of fine noble Oaks, they must be put in _very thick_, and the planter must not expect, during a life of average duration, _any profit at all_; for, in order to secure his object, he must, first, _prepare the ground well_: and next, he must either _sow acorns_, or he must put in _an immense number of plants_—and, in either case, he will incur a heavy outlay. He must, for the first seven years, _keep the ground clean_, and he must plant along with the Oak, a selection of those kinds of trees, _as nurses_, which are best adapted to the purpose, and not those which might probably, at the earliest period, find their way into the _local_ market, and make the best price when there; although these points should not be left out of consideration.

But now, the question as to planting, or sowing, or, if the former be preferred, that of the distance of the plants, being settled, the next which presents itself is this: what kinds shall be planted as the

Nurses for the Oak.

Here again, a good deal will depend upon the object of the planter, the nature of the soil, and the exact arrangements which are made at the time of planting; for it might be quite proper to plant a species of Tree in one place, while, owing to a difference in the staple or the condition of the soil, it would be just the reverse in another.

The remarks which I shall have to make on this subject have, in some degree, been anticipated by the observations which I have already made, respecting the Skellingthorpe Plantation, but a more particular reference to a few well-known kinds, may not be amiss.

I begin with the _Larch_, which, from its great value to Farmers and others, is fairly entitled to precedence.

The Larch is found, in greater or smaller proportions, in most places where Plantations are made; and it is entirely the planter’s fault, if he be not well acquainted with its character, as a nurse for Oak. I say this, because it has been so extensively tested, and its habits are so well known, that no one, having the slightest wish to become acquainted with it, can have failed for want of opportunity.

I have very often seen the Larch where it has proved an exceedingly bad nurse; where, in fact, instead of nursing the Oaks, it has destroyed them: but this has, of course, arisen from “mismanagement,” and might have been avoided. When good, stiff, healthy Oak Plants are put in with Larch only, or but with very few of any other sort, the Larch ought not, in the first place, to be put _too near_—the exact distance can only be determined relatively to that of the Oaks—secondly: an advantage should be given to the Oaks, if possible, _at the start_; either by assigning them a portion of the soil from the land intended for the Larch, or in some other way; after which, if the latter are constantly watched, they will approve themselves very suitable and valuable nurses; but if they are allowed, as they too generally are, to take the lead of the Oak, they will plentifully avail themselves of the licence, to the serious and, perhaps, irreparable injury of that plant.

For large Plantations, intended for profit, it may be questioned whether, in the first instance, any thing else than Oak and Larch should be planted, and the distance must be decided after due consideration is given to the quality and condition of the land.

If, however, a disposition is felt to plant other kinds, as nurses, there can be no objection, provided that their companionship is made fully to square with the well-being of the trees intended for timber.

But where it is intended to introduce nothing that shall not act as a good nurse for the Oak, exception must certainly be taken to the Alder, the Poplars, the Sycamore, the Horse Chesnut, the Birch, and the Scotch Fir, &c. Not one of these discovers any congeniality for the Oak, nor any fitness for the office of nursing it; and it does really appear to my mind, as most unaccountably strange, that trees of all sorts should, without forethought, or calculation—and most particularly, that no reference should be made to their suitability or adaptation for the circumstances in which they are to be placed—be planted at a greater cost than would have sufficed to procure an ample number of the right sort.

Upon a suitable soil, the Spruce Fir has always appeared to me, to be decidedly and incomparably the best nurse of the Oak. I have, for instance, often seen, on a clay soil, a Spruce Fir, and an Oak of twenty-five years growth, flourishing admirably, in close proximity with each other—even within a foot and a half. I do not think that this could be said of any other tree than the Spruce Fir; but besides this, there is almost always a very peculiar healthiness about the Oaks, where the Spruce has been planted and cherished as the principal nurse. There seems to be the best possible understanding between them—no struggling for pre-eminence—no blighting influence exercised by the one over the other. But the Spruce Fir is not found to flourish so well on some soils as on others: it will therefore, mostly, be advisable to unite with it, for a number of years, the _Larch_, which may be so placed as to be all weeded out during the course of thinning, which ought to commence in a few years after planting, and go on until there remains nothing but Oak in possession of the ground.

In concluding my remarks on Planting, I cannot help referring to the specimens of sowing and thick planting, which may be seen on the extensive estate of the Duke of Portland, at Welbeck, and in that neighbourhood. It has always been His Grace’s practice, either to sow Acorns, or to plant Oaks, in alternate beds, having Larch between. If the Oaks were planted, they were put in _very thickly_; and although their progress was necessarily slower than it would have been, if they had been allowed more room, it cannot be doubted that His Grace had a great advantage in the almost unlimited choice which it gave him, of trees _of perfect form_, for the ultimate crop of timber.

The system of _thick planting_ has been fully carried out: having prepared the ground well, His Grace appears to have never lost sight, for an instant, of the young trees that he had undertaken to rear: there has been no mistaken practice—no niggardly economy—no ruinous neglect, rendering all his previous care abortive, and sacrificing his large outlay at the commencement. When the Plantations have required attention, they have evidently had it.

The admirer of fine timber will see, in the Duke’s Plantations and grounds, some of the most perfectly formed trees that can be conceived of, and that not on a small scale, but to an extent as comprehensive as that truly noble Duke’s genius, of whom it may probably be said that he unites, in his mind and person, as many of those qualities which constitute true Nobility, as any Gentleman of his day.

It is not in the power of my feeble pen to show the immense amount of good which has accrued to the immediate neighbourhood, from the employment of the poor in the locality, in carrying on, and in completing, those splendid improvements which His Grace has originated, and which have caused the literal desert to “blossom as the rose”: much less can I describe the area of the vast circle, within which the most beneficial effects have been felt, from the influence of the noble Duke’s example, while perfecting, as he has done, his various plans for the improvement of his fine estate.

In the Welbeck Plantations will be found, as I have said, a class of trees, most perfectly suited to the situations where they stand, and giving the surest promise of future superiority: but what, let me ask, would have been the quality of the Oaks, if the noble Duke had jumbled together an incongruous admixture of _various sorts_, as has been recommended by various writers of eminence, even in our own day? I am not disposed to enter into a controversy with any of those who have recorded their opinions in their writings, otherwise I might have plenty of work on my hands: it will be quite as much as ought to be expected from me, if I defend my own: but I would just quote a single paragraph from an interesting and useful, but, on some points, incorrect volume, published by “The Society for the diffusion of Useful Knowledge.” It is entitled “Useful and Ornamental Planting.” The passage to which I refer, will be found in the 43rd page, and runs thus:

“_Simple Plantations_ consist of one or two species of trees only; _mixed Plantations_ of many different species. The latter, on suitable soils, are the most profitable: they afford an earlier, more permanent, and a larger return for Capital than simple Plantations.”

In a book where there is so much to commend, where so many valuable practical directions are given, it cannot but excite regret, to meet with a paragraph so vague and unsatisfactory as the above; for I cannot but remark, that if any planter should adopt the suggestion which is thrown out, it will end in disappointment and loss. It will, in my judgment, generally be best for the planter to select such trees for nurses as are most congenial, and best adapted to the local market; and surely these will not be the Birch, the Beech, the Alder, or the Scotch Fir; none of which are ever found to answer the purpose of nursing the more valuable timber trees, or of securing a fair return for the investment of capital.

It is true that the opinion which I have quoted, is afterwards qualified by the remark, that certain “circumstances connected with the growth of the various species of forest trees, effectually control the planter in his modes of arrangement, &c.” but even with this limitation, the planter is liable to be misled, for he is not taught to set a higher value upon the Larch, which may in almost every locality be planted with a much better chance of profit, than the other kinds with which it is ranked, and which ought therefore, if profit be the object, for that reason alone, to be preferred.

In any thing else but planting, the mischief of such a mistake, as producing that which was worthless when produced, would, in a short time, have cured itself; but so little of science, or even of common calculation, have been brought to bear upon the practice of Arboriculture, that, notwithstanding the evidence which is every where to be met with, of serious “loss and disappointment,” for want of calculation, these matters go on very much as they “always have done.”

Finally, as to planting, it must, in every case, be perfectly clear to one who is competent to judge, that, whether the object be profit merely, or the embellishment of the landscape, the land ought to be as well prepared as circumstances will permit, and that _such species of trees should be preferred, as are best adapted to the specific object of the planter_.

The distance at which the plants shall be put in, is more a matter of opinion than some planters would be inclined to admit. For myself, I am disposed to think, that some advantages are lost to a Plantation, under certain combinations of soil and circumstances, when it is planted _thickly_, but I would not either rate the loss too highly, or express my opinion, with unseemly positiveness: my notion is, that the supposed advantages of planting thickly may generally be supplied by _early, judicious pruning_, and that the progress of the Plantation would be facilitated thereby: that, in fact, a Plantation of trees at a distance of three feet, being properly assorted, having had a good start, and suitable treatment in all respects afterwards, would reach any given point as to size, and quality, in less time than would another Plantation, upon the same soil, if the method of either sowing acorns, &c., or planting very thickly, were adopted. In saying this, I by no means wish to condemn the practice of thick planting; to do this, in the face of proofs of success, such as I have described as existing in this country, would be an absurdity of which I would not willingly be guilty; but at the same time, I would not hesitate to range myself among those who _prefer_, under ordinary circumstances, to plant at a moderate distance, and rely upon _early pruning_, for securing the object which the close planter has in view, viz., length of bole, or stem, and clearness of grain.

I come now to remark upon the

Present mode of managing Plantations after they are made.

Abiding still, most strictly, by the rule laid down for myself, to deal with every part of my subject practically, I proceed to observe, that the instances where Plantations are treated with due regard to the principles of Arboricultural science, are not the rule, but the exceptions to the rule, as every scientific planter, who has looked round him, must know.

Instead of the trees intended for timber being nursed with the tenderest care from their infancy—instead of their being treated according to the known and fixed laws which regulate, and effectually control, the economy of vegetable life, whether men attend to them or not—they too frequently meet with treatment which is in direct opposition to those laws. I shall show this as clearly, and as plainly, as I can.

When a gentleman has decided to plant, when he has fixed upon the right mode of doing it, and has finished it in a proper manner; so far he has done all that could be expected from him; but if, after this, he leaves his Plantation to itself for five, ten, or fifteen years, he transgresses the laws to which I have referred; and his error is one of _omission_.

Again: were the same gentleman, after the lapse of ten years, or even less, to enter his Plantation, and cut and thin _very freely_, he would violate those laws by an error of _commission_, and in this case, as well as the other, the Plantation would very materially suffer.

A Plantation which should be subjected, at so early a stage of its existence as ten or fifteen years, to the ordeal of both these classes of errors, could have but little chance of succeeding: it could not be expected to make any more than very slow progress after such treatment as this: and yet this is exactly the way in which many Plantations are managed, at _all_ stages of their growth. I have recently met with a splendid Larch Plantation, which has never been thinned, from the first, except by “fits and starts”; of which injudicious treatment, I could see very serious “outward and visible signs.” Although it is upon exceedingly weak and poor land, it would have produced, _if it had been properly managed_, a fine class of Larches, which would have yielded to the proprietor an abundant return upon his outlay. If any one doubt this, let him look around and see if he cannot find a Plantation of forty or fifty years growth, which is crowded with trees—say of Larch only—and he will, upon examination, perceive that there are two or three distinct classes of trees still standing, all of which ought, long before, to have been taken out; and that there is _but one class of Larches_, probably, which should be standing. The other two classes which I have just mentioned, would be found, if the fact could be clearly come at, very nearly of the same size as they had been many years before; inasmuch as they could not possibly make any wood, being themselves overtopped by their more thriving and vigorous neighbours. It is perfectly obvious too, that the injury arising to the Plantation would not stop here. So long as under-strappers were allowed to remain, they would, to a certain extent, have the effect of preventing the admission of light and air into the Plantation, which would materially affect the health and the progress of the standard trees.

The errors of _omission_ are both serious and numerous: those of _commission_, great though they be, are not equally so. The former are generally first in the order of time, for where one Plantation is injured from _too early thinning_, there are ten that suffer for the want of it; and this early neglect affects the vitality and prosperity of a Plantation much more than might be supposed. Omitting to do what ought to be done will, however, be very prejudicial to the health of Plantations at any stage of their existence, and it is quite well known to the experienced Forester, that they ought ever to be watched with most tender care, until the planter is fully satisfied that he has completed the nursing and training of a sufficient number of standard trees, to furnish the ultimate crop.

But errors of omission sometimes admit of remedy; whereas, if injury is committed by excessive thinning, or by cutting down trees which ought to have remained, it is often difficult, and sometimes impossible, to repair the mischief that is done. Both the errors to which I have alluded, must be avoided by the planter who would desire to have a healthy and _continuously thriving_ Plantation.

Having considered well the following points, viz., the preparation of his land—the selection of the species of trees that he will plant—their size and quality—and the distance at which they shall stand from each other, he must remember that, from the very first, they will not only require, but they will well pay for, his closest attention. During the first seven years, he may, probably, have little else to do at them than to _keep the land clean_; but this will, in some degree, depend upon the distance which he has chosen for them; and on the kind which he intends for the final crop of timber. But whatever _they_ may be—whether the Oak alone, or along with some other species, the trees intended for timber will demand the peculiar, the unremitted, attention of the planter: his object must ever be to deal with all the rest, with distinct, direct, and positive reference to _the careful nursing of those_: and it must always be borne in mind, that whatever be the fate of the _nurses_, those which I will again distinguish from the rest, by calling them the _standard trees_, must, if possible, be kept in vigorous health. This can only be done, concurrently with the ultimate object of securing great length of bole, by _pruning_ of some sort or other. If the trees are so planted as to insure _natural_ pruning, no other, _except of the nurses_, will be required, but the first operation will be _thinning_; which should be done with great care and judgment. Where it is not so done, it is more than probable that trees will be taken which should have been left, and the contrary. As it respects the Oak, the principal point to be aimed at is, to spare all those, as the thinning goes on, that have the best defined heads. This will be an easy matter with an experienced and well-taught planter, or woodman, and the difficulty, if any there be, will be less at each succeeding thinning, as the heads of the trees develope themselves.

But when trees are not planted so thickly as to insure length of bole by natural pruning, they must be pruned with the knife and the bill-hook, and the earlier the operation is begun, the better.

I doubt not but some of my readers will stamp this advice with their unqualified disapprobation. It may be very good and correct notwithstanding. My own experience, as well as that of many others whom I have consulted, convinces me that the notion, which so extensively prevails, as to the injurious effects of pruning, is _decidedly incorrect_. It may have had its origin in the evidence of injury to timber, which has been furnished by _injudicious pruning_; and thus what would have else been universally seen to be necessary, has come to be almost universally condemned: but this is a common error, and has been too often shown, to render it necessary for me to expose it here. Some very valuable observations on pruning have been published by Mr. Main, in his excellent little work, entitled “The Forest Planter and Pruner’s Assistant.” At page 53, the following paragraph occurs: “But the only part of a woodman’s duty which does not appear to be well defined, or at least not generally agreed upon by practical men, is relative to the necessity of carefully pruning and managing the trees during the first fifteen or twenty years of their growth.”

I quote the last member of the above with entire approbation: that is, so far as the necessity for pruning is recognized in it: and I further think, that the reasons which are given by Mr. Main for pruning, and the manner in which he has illustrated his principle—the clear and satisfactory way in which he has treated the whole subject—entitle him to the confidence, and to the thanks, of all who are interested in the growth of trees. But I am very far indeed from agreeing with him in the opinion so adventurously given, that “the best methods of preparing the ground for the reception of the plants—manner of transplanting—the soils most suitable for each species—are all _thoroughly_ and _universally_ understood.” My belief is, on the contrary, that comparatively few planters, or woodmen, _do_ “_thoroughly_” understand these matters. If they did, their practice would not be so extensively wrong as it is. If it were so, why have planters so widely differed? Why is there seen such discrepancy in their modes of management? But what does Mr. Main wish his readers to understand by the term “_practical men_”? If he refer to those who have the oversight and the direction of the practical operations included in the “preparation of the soil for the reception of the plants—manner of transplanting—the soils most suitable for each species, &c.”; and if he wish to convey the idea that, by this class of persons, these points are “_thoroughly and universally understood_,” I hold him to be wholly and widely wrong: but if he only mean that _scientific men_, who have well studied the subject, and who have written upon it, and _really intelligent woodmen_, are agreed as to the best practice, I do not greatly differ from him; nor do I conceive that the main point, at which I have aimed in this publication, will be at all affected by any concession which I make to this effect: my principal object has been, and will be, to show that, however clearly and strongly may have been shown, _the propriety of acting in conformity with the principles of science_, in the original formation of Woods and Plantations, in the planting of Hedge-row Timber, and in the general management of them all, the _practice_ of “_practical men_,” has been, “except as before excepted,” so bad, that the most charitable conclusion which can be drawn is, that they “_thoroughly_” _misunderstand_ almost every part of the subject! It seems rather to me, that instead of there being only one point in their practice on which they need enlightenment, that there is but one on which they may be said to agree, and that is in a _thorough_ contempt for all rules, all principles, all science! in other words, that this class of persons has displayed an amount of ignorance, (which, however, has been more their _misfortune_ than their _fault_,) and the want of a proper apprehension of the nature and extent of their obligations, and duties, which has no parallel in the management of any other description of property.