Brave young man. He and his wife bought a house and 11 acres in a western county, and, in the first year have a formidable tree-planting scheme, already begun. Here is the list, to encourage the less strong-minded. There are 100 walnut trees, not all guaranteed to produce nuts early, but some. Then 100 hazel. Makes sense if you don't have squirrels to take all the nuts before they are ripe and before you think of picking them. Useful rods for staking small trees and beans and peas as a plus. He has 50 oaks and Y forgot to ask if they were pedunculate or sessile, but oaks come late into leaf. He has heeled them in for the time being. One hundred silver birch give a lift for their wonderful bark and their grace and elegance. They grow quite quickly. He has 50 willows various in their uses and they are also quick growers. Then 50 maples. Now, one maple in a planting of ash in another place, lights up the whole scene in autumn, when the yellow of the falling leaves sends up a glow from the prosaic ash floor. And that is from one tree only. He has 50!
For the birds, as well as to delight the eye, he has 50 mountain ash. Then 20 poplars of some height already. And, to complete the score there are 100 whips of wild cherries. As even the most city-centred person knows, cherry trees of one kind or another make spring a riot of colour. All this on land which, as he dug in his first trees, he found more stony than expected. It is, of course, esker land, but he is young and hardy and he grew up with trees and has an admirable fruit, flower and vegetable garden in Dublin. Even, lucky man, a quince which actually produces quinces. Wish him luck.
He has a job ahead of him. Fortunately some of the trees to be put in are 10 or 12 feet high and give an early settled look to the place. But a formidable task in Tree Week, when so many are actively engaged in what Crann calls the re-leafing of Ireland. Note, he sticks to broadleaves.