The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-31 00:00:00

CCLTITATION OF THE BRITISH OAK.

, The following is a copy of an interesting statement pre-
' titsted to the Bath and West of England Agricultural So-
; fifty by Thomas Davis, Esq.:—
, Ice the year 18011, hoed Olenbervie, the Surveyor-General, laid
before the Commissioners of his Majesty's Woods and Forests a
marment end preposition relative to the enclosures then about to
le made in the New Forest, for the growth and preservation of
limber for the supply of the Navy; and particularly relative to
*moot advivable method of raising oak in such new enclosures.
Tx total measure of unenclosed waste of the Forest was then about
'Ape saes; and he an Act of William and Mary it is directed
that not more than 6,000 acres shall be at any one time in an en.
dosed state. The supply of oak timber from this Forest to the
dleyel Navy is not less than 500 loads annually.
.1z under the opinions of many skilful and practical men.
and contrasted by the Surveyor-General with cautious at-
omise. the officers of the Forest, between the years 1808 and
"11, made aosoctilagly enclosares of various sixes, from 13i) to 500
Ores Ned . 'nine enclosures were well fenced from dear and
pile, the rabbis* sad vermin destroyed, and the wet parts of the
had were skilfully open drained. Of these enclosures, which ne-
ws* Included a variety of soils and surface, the most exposed
saisdass, gravelly snaps and boggy places, supposed to be unfit
hied, were planted with Scotch firs, in rows, four feet apart each
ay, the beim being dug eighteen inches over, and fifteen inches
dep. Thessiase of the land was applied to the growth of oak.
'The ant phs adopted for raising oaks was by acorns end seed-
Plants ineennixed. Notwithstanding an apparent success in
at esti), stages this attempt suffered almost a total failure.
!Tall oak plants from nurseries were next tried, and put in at the
tiof eight feet apart. In shel:ered spots and other favour-
siteeestions many of these succeeded, but they grew up rough
od rudely. . . .

A mei general trial of nursery plants now succeeded, put in
Itabout thirty inches high, four feet apart (is above stated) with a
few Spanish chanuts at intervals. Thep plants lived. but did not
re. In exposed situations, and in severe weather, their growth
checked, and they showed but little prospect of attaining the
desired object.

The near step taken, of the introduction of Scotch firs, Opulent,
ad larch, among the oak plants, upon the general plan of • mixed
phenstion, seemed to answer much better ; but still the oak ap.
El!, attuned a*d unhealthy. The failing plants bad Men psmoval,
vacant spots filled up with varied =was, but without any sa-
reallit up to the v..: :Zig.
Akul this !‘:.e Mr. Robert Turner, who had a few years
&untidy been appointed Deputy Surveyor of the New Forest
principal executive officer), commenced a new system of
Owl oaks, which has since been generally practised in the forest
res; a system which promises great suwess in the present
photations under his care, and which will, in ray humble opinion,
pore to be one of-the most valuable discoveries in the annals of

.161thteot
The els fir plantation being at that period about twelve
feet high, and forming an unitcd head, were thinned out by cutting
sway filteenate rows, and thus set out eight feet apart ; with this
tamisd, to leave the broadside to the south-west, and to save the
~kg,
with
or:7,s
psioantseutfoouurt.
feet
tIL vaeatiint places
oles Legre then
feet commonly to the month of December. At the end of
the first year the branches of the remaining firs were thinned and
shortened, to give the oaks head-room. In two yeah the fir
branches sere cut off generally. In the third year the firs were
partially cut out. In the fourth and fifth years they were again
reduced, by occasionally taking out a whole row of firs, and letting
up two rows of oaks together.
At this time (Dec. 1f1•25) the oak trees planted five years ago,
foal feet high among the first, are commonly ten to twelve feet
high, iffy many of them above sixteen feet high; whilst the neigh-
bouring o- ,k plants, which were put in alone at the MITIe time, and
i f the same height, and be it remembered in land considered more
it for the growth of oak, are now shorter by one third generally ;
and thole among the earlier oak
.plantations are but little better;
sir both instances being rough in their coats, and less kindly in
their growth. •
_. . . .

Th; necessity of pruning young trees to direct their growth,
commonly a tie..vy duty in large plantations, is here done away
with. The plants among the firs are overhung by them for the
roost part; but they push up their heads through the fir branches,
wllich at tint are lopped only to prevent their whipping the oaks.
Nor do the firs seem Y Interfere with the supply of nourishment
netemary for the oaks, although they supd so thick that the
tuk plants are positively without sunshine for at least a year !
In elain truth, the firs appear to be careful full grown nurses, able
to protect the infant oaks ; and peculiarly calculated to save them
trent 'rinds and frosts, of which I had the strongest proof in Au.
gas!. 10!3. when young plenlations and coppice',generally through.
out the country, suffered from a 3lidsummer frost. At that date
mese sheltered young oaks were wholly uninjured, whilst those in
tt.e adjacent open ground were cut moat severely.
It will readily occur to every planter, that as these plantations
rr vet in their infancy, much remains to be done to complete this
few system for its avowed object. In letting up the young oaks,
cue must be taken to give them at first air wiihout wind ; to ex-
?at them gradually to the open atmosphere. and to make them
keep size with their stature. They will require much skilful atter,.
two in their future management, until they are reduced to a num-
ber, having room for acquiring maturity lit toe ravel purposes,
',Lich, should they sixteen{ well, will be a reduction from upwards
of 1300 plants to less than 100 trees on an acre of land.
1 Lope and presume that Mr. Turner's experiments will be re-
carded in the next Reports of the Coemnissioners of Woods and
Forests, in terms worthy of his character, and lit for publication.
flat keying myself risked these enclosure' three suneasive years
with increased delight, I am desirous of communicating to Ilte
Bath and West of England Society this plain statement of the facts
of 10 management. And I take leave here to note. that Mr.
Turner has no reserve either in showing his plantations or in
explaining his system and operations. Gentlemen and nurserymen
are it full liberty to visit his works, and many of both classes have
asknowledged the advantages derived front such In-
dulgence.

CORN Arra xo s.—The following, we understand, are
agregste averages which regulate foreign imports-
'ton, and which will appear in the Gazette of this evening:
—l% heat, 61.. 4d. ; Barley. 41e. 2d. ; Oats, 268.8 d.; Rye,
ht.'s. Id.; Beans. 45x. 9d.; Pees, 495. Intl. The ports, in
ms,:quence, will close against the imp )rtation of foreign
i'rase, and col:tinue open for foreign Barley for the next
•Ix wcek.3.

Tie. CORN Ta Apr.—The Gentetle of the 16th
.;:int contains the following paragraph relative to the corn

" NAPT.EI, DEC.
t►R'cial accounts received from Gibraltar state that

of corn liasri.^it in that place to 14 reals de villon
1, and that !Ile Captain of the brigantine Ma-
a del Rosario, under the flag of our Anglin Soye-
, ad sold 1,3011 fane.tas of his cargo at that price.
rol ig to all app nonce this ►ise of the prices will be•
•••1 greater, notwithstanding the great quantities that
obtained from Tuuis, Italy, France, Odessa, and
4tr r'aces, on account of the dreadful scarcity in the
al krit of Morocco. The great distress has induced the
,:rchauts at I iibraltar to oprn a subscription for the un-
renate ioltabi!atitf of "f angler."

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