for oak, and perhaps equal to any foreign oak produced in the north of Europe. It cannot be confidered improper, that, following fo refpectable authority, the writer, while he recommends the planting of all wafte and otherwife unimprovable lands, especially in the lower parts of the country, should also recommend the planting a greater number of larch than of any other fort of trees, as, while he knows it can be done at a comparatively fmall expence, the returns will be quicker, and the profits of course greater.

So much depends on foil and fituation, that to attempt a particular defcription of the proportions of the various forts of trees that should be mixed together in the fame plantation, under every circumftance that could occur, would be altogether impracticable.

The planting various forts of trees in the fame inclosure, with a view to timber, has been carried on for a longer period, and to a much greater extent, in Scotland than in England. The lords of manors in the latter kingdom claiming a right to the trees planted by their vaffals, or those holding by customary tenure, is an unfurmountable bar to this means of improvement being generally adopted by the copy-holders. He must indeed be a patriot who will plant that another may fell; that will fow when another is to reap. The tithe on tim

ber

ber is also a great obftacle to planting in England; few people will be difpofed to expend money in planting waftes, when they know that the clergyman must receive twelve or fifteen per cent. of the grofs amount of the sales, although he contributes nothing to the expence, nor can he receive any benefit from the land while in an unproductive state.

One good confequence (if it should have been the only one) of the rebellion of 1745, was the introduction of planting in Scotland on a large scale. The management of the estates, forfeited to the Crown at the close of that rebellion, was vested in several public-fpirited gentlemen, who, fortunately for the country, devoted a confiderable fhare of the revenue arifing from these eftates for the purpose of forming plantations. By this means not only a spirit for planting was introduced, but these plantations prove useful to the inhabitants in the neighbourhood, and profitable to the individual proprietors who are now in poffeffion of thefe eftates.

The commiffioners. of the annexed estates caused plant chiefly Scotch firs, from the idea, it is prefumed, which at that time generally prevailed, that no other forts of trees would thrive in fuch indifferent foils, or in fuch expofed fituations, as were under their directions felected for the purpose of planting. Several of the great proprietors, who have more recently adopted

this method of improving wafte lands, have alfo planted chiefly Scotch firs, with a view of procuring fhelter for the more delicate and valuable trees; and when that is obtained, they caufe thin out the Scotch firs, and plant oak, afh, elm, larch, &c. in the vacancies.

This, which may now be confidered the general mode of planting, is, for many reasons, preferable to a much more expenfive one, that has been with fome addrefs recently introduced, namely, that of planting a mixture of all forts. of forest-trees at first, and fo clofe together, that four or five thousand plants are deemed requifite for every acre. This method is recommended under the pretence that the work is done at once, and confequently lefs expenfive than if it were done twice over, as in the former cafe ; and alfo that being planted fo close together, the plants act as a fcreen to each other, and that the whole will thrive alike.

The nurserymen, and those who make a trade of contracting to furnish plants, and to plant waste ground by the acre, will always find it for their intereft to imprefs the minds of the proprietors with this idea, in order to fecure a market for their more valuable plants, which would otherwife be required in fmall numbers only. But it must be obvious to every person acquainted with the fubject, that to plant near three thoufand oaks, elms, beech, chefnut, &c. befides

larch

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larch and Scotch firs, on the acre, can anfwer no other purpose than to increase the expence of the first planting from fifteen or twenty fhil

lings to L. 3 or L. 4 the acre; a fum infinitely

greater than the value of the fee-fimple by the acre of many extenfive tracts, which may be feen in feveral parts of Scotland planted in the manner now described.

In expofed fituations, where fhelter is indifpenfably requifite, it is no doubt highly proper to plant clofe; and the more expofed the fituation, the closer the plants ought to be to each other. At the fame time, it must appear extremely abfurd, that while it is well known larch and Scotch fir will afford the neceffary degree of shelter fooner than any other trees that can be planted on lands of this defcription; yet that fix or eight different forts of trees, all more difficult to raise from the feed, and confequently the plants more expenfive to purchase, fhould be planted on the acre, feemingly for no other reafon, than becaufe the contractor ftipulated for fo many of each fort. The best and by much the leaft expenfive method of improving wafte ground by planting, is to form the plantation at first of Scotch firs, with a confiderable mixture of larch. When thefe fhall have arrived at fuch a fize as that thinning becomes requifite, the Scotch firs fhould on every occafion be cut out to make way for the larch; and in every part of the plantation

plantation where the foil is of fuperior quality, both fhould be cut out, and then oak or other trees, fuch as are adapted to that particular foil, may be planted with every chance of fuccefs. Where the foil is generally of a bad quality, the Scotch fir fhould be occafionally cut out, and the larch only allowed to ftand for timber. Were this method more generally adopted, proprietors might plant three acres at lefs expence than one could be planted for where a great variety of plants are used, while fewer failures in attempts to improve wafte land by planting would be the confequence of this prudent management.

One other obfervation on the fubject of planting the writer begs leave to suggest, as meriting the confideration of thofe public-fpirited proprietors, who, defirous to improve that portion of the wafte lands of the country which has fallen to their share, have adopted the refolution of planting on a large fcale. The first object of every fuch proprietor ought to be to establish a proper nursery of the various forts of trees, fuitable to the foil and fituation of the lands intended to be planted. This will not only greatly reduce the expence of planting, but tend alfo materially to insure fuccefs, as plants habituated to the foil and climate have a much better chance of becoming trees than those reared in nurseries. adjoining to cities and towns; where, owing to the more fheltered fituation, and the means used