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on their edges 



Tlic third furt is conimonly known in the nurfery- 

 gardens by the title of I\ngli(h Eln-), which is far 

 trom being a right appellation, for ic is not a native 

 of F.nglar.d, and is only found growing near London, 

 or in plantations where the young trees were procured 

 from the neighbourhood of London. Vvhcre this tree 

 grows naturally is not eafy to determine; fome per- 

 lons have fuppofed ic was brought from Germany. 

 As this tree is well knov/n, it requires no defcription. 

 The flowxrs of this are of a purpliih red colour, and 

 generally appear the begin. nng of March, but I could 

 never obferve any feeds upon this fort. 

 The fourth fort is very common in feveral parts of 

 HertFordfhire, Effex, and other north-eall: counties 

 of England ; this grows to a large tree, and is much 

 eftcemed. The branches fpread out like thofe of 

 the firfl: fort. The leaves are oval, and Iharply fawed 



; they are fmoother than moll of the 

 other forts, and do not appear till the middle or lat- 

 ter end of May, fo the trees are feldom planted near 

 habitations. 



The fifth fort is well known by the title of Dutch 

 Elm ; this was brought from Holland the beginning 

 of King Willliam's reign, and was for fome time a 

 fafhionable tree, and has been recommended for its 

 quick growth •, it was fome years ago in great requeft 

 for forming hedges in gardens, for v/hich purpofe it 

 -was one of the moft improper trees that could be 

 chofen, for they made very ftrong irregular Ihoots, 

 which are diftant from each other. The leaves were 

 very large and rough, and the branches covered with 

 a fungous rough bark, which was difagreeable, fo 

 that when the hedges were flieared, they appeared 

 naked and difagreeable the whole fummer after. The 

 wood of this tree is good for nothing, fo it is almofl 

 baniihed this country. 



The fixth fort is found growing in hedge-rows in 

 feveral parts of England. The branches of this fort 

 have a fmooth grayifh bark, and grow ere6t. The 

 leaves are narrower, and more pointed than thofe of 

 the Englifh Elm, and are fmoother; they are later in 

 coming out in the fpring than thofe, but continue 

 longer in autumn ; this has been by fome called the 

 Irifli Elm. . - . - , - 



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There are fome other varieties of this tree which are I 

 preferved in the nurfery-gardens, but their difference I ; 

 is not remancable enough to deferve notice, therefore 

 they are omitted, as are alfo thofe with variegated 

 leaves, of which there are feveral varieties propagated 

 An the nurferies about London; thefe are by fome 

 - ■- perfons efteemed. 



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great expcncc of watering them will be faved ; for if 

 th.ev are well fettled in t:ie ground before the drv 

 weather, they will require lutlc more tl^an to mukh 

 tlicir roots to keep tiie earth from drying. 

 Thefe plants fiiould be permitted to grow rude two 

 years, during whi.:h time the ground bcrtwccn Hiould 

 be carefully cleaned and dug every Ipring, by which 

 time they will be well rooted and have made pretty 

 ftronf2; ilioots, fo that they may be laid in the around 

 The manner of pcrtorming this being alrca'.ly dc- 

 fcribcd in the article Layers, I {hall forbear repeatinfj- 

 it in this place. 



When thefe layers are well rooted, which will be ia 

 one year, they fnould be taken cif, and traniplnntcd 



out into a nurfery, which fliouid be upon a 



'^00 



d foil, 



and well prepared, (as before for the frools.) The 

 plants lliould be planted in rows about four feet afun- 

 der, and two feet diltance plant from plant in the 

 rows. This fliould be done in autumn, as foon as the 

 Ic'^vcs begin to decay, and if there is fome mulch laid 

 upon the furface of the ground about their roots, It 

 will prefervc them from being hurt by froft in win- 

 ter, and from drying winds in fpring, and thereby fe- 

 cure them from all hazard. 



The following fummer the ground betv/een them 

 fhould be conftantly kept clean from weeds, and irt 

 autumn they fhould be pruned up, cutting off all 

 ftrong lateral branches, v/hich, if left on, would im- 

 pede their upright growth ; but there mud be fon 



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All the forts of Elm may be either propagated by 



layers or fuckers taken from the roots of the old 



trees, the latter of which is generally pradlifed by the 



hurfery gardeners ; but as thefe are often cut up with 



..indifferent roots, they often mifcarrj^ and render the 



,.,fuccefs doubtful ; whereas thofe which are propagated 



' by layers^are in no Tiazard, and always make better 



t^roots, and come on fafter than the other, and do not 



Tend out fuckers from their roots in fuch plenty, for 



which reafon this method Ibould be more univerfally 



practifed. ..And fince a fmall compafs of ground 



tilled with ftools of thefe plants will be fufEcient to 



furnifh a nurfery of a confiderable extent, annually, 



with layers to be tranfplanted, it is richly worth. every 



perfon's while, who would cultivate thefe trees, to 



allot a fpot of ground for this purpofe. ■ . 



The beft foil for fuch a nurfery is a frefh Hazel 



loam, neither too light and dry, nor over moid and 



heavy ; this ground fnould be w^ell trenched, and if a 



[ little rotten dung is buried therein, it will be of fer- 



vice -, in doing of this great care fliould be taken to 



pick out all the roots of pernicious weeds, which, if 



left in the ground, would be very injurious to the 



J^yers, and cannot afterwards be fo eafily rooted out ; 



then having laid the ground level, the plants muft be 



planted at about eight feet aiunder each way. The 



beft feafon for this work is in autumn, as foon as the 



leaves begin to decay, that they may take root before 



tlie dry vveather in the fpring comes on, whereby a | 



of the fmaller {hoots left on to detain the fap, in order 

 to augment the ftems of the trees -, for where they are 

 pruned up too naked, they are apt to grow up too 

 flender to fupport themfelves, fo that their Jieads will 

 recline to the ground, and caufe their ftems to grow 

 crooked. . : 



In this nurfery they may remain four or five years, ob- 



:.ferving conftantly to dig the ground between them 

 -, every fpring, and to trim them as before direftcd, 

 which will promote their growth, arid render chcni 

 ftrong enough to tranfplant out where they are to 

 remain, in the time before mentioned. 

 Thefe trees are very proper to plant in hedge- rows^' 

 upon the borders of fields, where they will thrive much 



:, better than when planted rn a wood, or clofe planta- 

 tion, and tlieir ihade will not be very injurious to 

 whatever grows under them •, but when thefe trees are 

 tranfplanted out upon banks after this manner, the 

 banks ftiould be well wrought, and cleared from all 

 other roots, otherv/ife the plants, being taken from 

 a better foil, v/ill not make much progrefs in thefe 



places. 



this work, for the reafons before afligned ; but when 



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About Michaelmas will be a ^ood time for 



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^ they are planted, there fiiould be fome ftakes fixed in 

 by them, to which they ftiould be faftened to prevent 

 their being difplaced by the winds, and part of their 

 heads ftiould be taken off" before they are plaiited, 

 which will alfo be of ufe in preventing their being 

 eafily overturned by winds ; but by no means ftiould 

 their leading flioot be ftopped, nor the branches t6o 

 clofely cut off j for if there are not fome Ihoots left 

 on to draw and attraft the fap, they will be in danger 



' of mifcarrying. 

 Thefe trees are alfo proper to plant at adiftance from 

 a garden or building to break the violence of winds, 

 for which purpofe there is not any tree more ufeful, 

 for they may be trained up in form of a hedge, keep- 

 ing them cut every year, which will caufe them to 

 grow very clofe and handfome to the height of forty 

 or fifty feet, and be a great proteflion againft the 

 fury of winds j but they fhould not be planted too near 

 a garden, where fruit-trees or other plants are placed, 

 becaufe the roots of the Elms run fuperficially near 

 the top of the ground to a great diftance, and will 

 intermix with the roots of the other trees, and deprive 

 them of nourilbment; nor ftiould they be planted 

 near gravel or Grafs walks, which are defigned to be 

 well kept, becaufe the roots will run into them, and 

 fend forth fuckers in great plenty, which will deface 

 the walks, and render them unfightly. 



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