(2) =Chalky Soils.=—The beech is peculiarly well suited for planting in chalk districts, for it will grow and produce a large quantity of excellent timber where but a few inches of loam overlie the chalk. It is a fact that, in Southern England particularly, in order to find where the chalk beds lie, one has only to be guided by the line traced out by the largest and most luxuriant beeches. The beech will grow freely enough on almost pure chalk, but it certainly flourishes best where loam, say, from 1 ft. to 3 ft. in depth, overlies the chalk, or is incorporated with it, as on the Chiltern Hills. The Norway maple (_Acer platanoides_) revels in a chalky soil, and so does _A. colchicum rubrum_. These are both handsome, hardy, large-growing trees, and well suited for extensive forest-planting under certain conditions of soil. White poplar (_Populus alba_) is an excellent tree for planting in chalky districts—indeed, it is surprising to see to what an immense size it attains on almost pure chalk. Other poplars that do almost equally well on the chalk formation are _P. monilifera_ and _P. canadensis_, both excellent, free-growing trees. Elms, particularly the Huntingdon and the American, grow rapidly, and attain to a large size, where but a small quantity of loam is present in the chalk. The wych elm grows freely in chalky districts, and this may also be said of the common and silver-leaved lime. False acacia (_Robinia Pseud-acacia_) is an excellent tree for chalky soils, and there attains to a greater size than in even the richest of loams. The alder and birch also thrive with vigour on chalky soils. Indeed, most trees which in a state of nature grow in damp or marshy soils, are well suited for planting where chalk is the component of the main soil, and this is explained as follows:—Chalk, although sufficiently porous to allow water to percolate through it, has, like all other calcareous matter, a strong attraction for water, and acts like a sponge in holding it in considerable quantity for a very long time. Among the conifers that are suitable for chalky soils the Spanish fir (_Abies Pinsapo_) is one of the best. In the chalky districts of Southern England it thrives with unusual luxuriance. The Mount Enos fir (_Abies cephalonica_) is, likewise, well adapted for growing in chalky districts. Of evergreen trees that succeed well on chalk the number is well known to be limited, and it is important that two such beautiful conifers as the Spanish and Mount Enos firs should there find their most congenial home. Both the Scotch and Weymouth pines (_Pinus sylvestris_ and _P. Strobus_) are well suited for planting on chalk, and many fine examples of both may be seen on the chalky reefs of Kent and Surrey. The common Yew grows freely where hardly a particle of soil overlies the chalk formation.