[ i7 ] 



growth, few if any knees or naval crooks will be 

 found, except upon their borders -, we mud look 

 for thefe either in fingle trees, like No. I. in fnnall 

 groupes or in hedge-rows. In groiipes, one or other 

 often gains the maftery, as reprefented in No. II. or 

 HI. and forces the reft to bend forv/ard till they 

 have room for afcent. Trees, when few in num- 

 ber, enjoy a liberty nearly equal to fingle ones; 

 each has a fpace where its roots may draw nu- 

 trition; and as thefe and the branches ufually follow 

 the fame direflion, the leading roots of the infe- 

 rior trees will tend outwards, and finding nothing to 

 obftrufl their paflage, will furnilh fupply fufficient 

 to keep them thriving, notwithftanding the fupe^ 

 riority of their antagonifts. 



In this age, when our (lock of timber is fo very 

 low, and our impatience fuch, that we cannot wait 

 till the fmall quantity that is left attains maturity, 

 we muft not expedl: to find many capital crooks in 

 branches like thofe of the Langley Oak, but muft 

 produce them in the ftem or bole of the tree ;* 

 which can only be done by a regular and conftant 



• Deformity in a tree, like the fame defeft in the human body, 

 deviates from the line of beauty, but national intereft requires it to 

 be promoted, that we may not, like our neighbours, be compelled 

 to fubftitute iron braces iii the room of knees and crooks. 



oppreflion ; 



