1. It will not succeed satisfactorily in sandy, poor or water-logged soils; rich, well-manured loam being preferred. 2. The ground should either be trenched or ploughed and cleared of all rough-growing weeds the winter before planting. 3. Plant seedlings or layers in the spring in lines about 5 ft. apart and the same distance from plant to plant. 4. An annual clearance of weeds and loosening of the soil between the rows of plants is recommended where a heavy crop is expected. 5. Induce the growth of stout clean shoots by liberal feeding and clean cultivation. 6. Cut the shoots close to the ground so as to prevent the formation of long spurs and minimize the number of off-shoots. Clean cutting with a sharp tool is imperative. 7. After the removal of a crop, stirring and enriching the soil is to be recommended. 8. Though found mixed with undershrubs and in the shade of trees when in a wild state, yet the greatest quantity of the most valuable wood for charcoal making is produced in open situations. CHAPTER XXV PRICES OF HOME-GROWN TIMBER These vary so much in different parts of the country that it is almost impossible to give a list that would apply generally to the British Isles. Local demand and the situation of the plantations where the timber is to be sold have to be considered, while the quantity available and quality of the particular timber are also important factors in determining the price. In many instances woods and plantations are far removed from road and rail, consequently the cost of delivering to the consuming centre is proportionately high, while in the vicinity of coal mines or manufacturing towns almost every class of timber will find a ready and profitable market. Then the quality of the timber (its reputation, we might almost say) is a powerful factor in assessing its value, as will be seen in the case of oak produced in Surrey and Sussex, or beech from the chalky districts of Kent and Hertfordshire. No timber merchant thinks twice as to whether he should, on account of quality, purchase oaks at Rockingham, Ashridge, Welbeck or other well-known centres, and so it is with the beech timber on the Chiltern Hills, at the Chenies, in Hertfordshire, or with Scotch pine from the famous Aberdeenshire plantations.