Il6 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



in the seventeenth century may have had much to do with 

 determining British supremacy at sea at a time when the fortunes 

 of this country were in a most critical condition, and it is well 

 that his name should be kept green in our grateful memory. If, 

 as seems not unlikely, it was indirectly due to Evelyn that the 

 Grande Armee could not summon up courage to sail from 

 Boulogne in 1804, we would appear to be justified in acclaiming 

 him as the saviour of his country. 



At a time when officials were corrupt and courtiers were 

 unclean, Evelyn lived the life of a high-principled English 

 gentleman. His modesty carried him so far as to prevent his 

 putting his name on the title page of the first edition of his 

 great classic, which merely purported to be by "J. E., Esq." 

 It is probable, however, that the authorship was well known ; 

 at all events, after the first edition Evelyn's name appears in 

 full on the title page. 



The order in which Evelyn treats his subject is a strictly 

 logical one. He begins by describing the soil and seed, and 

 then proceeds to give directions for nursery treatment. It is 

 curious to find that he attaches as much importance as other 

 old writers to carefully regulating the sowing to the state of 

 the moon. " Into these furrows (about the new or increasing 

 moon) throw your oak, beach, ash, nuts, all the glandiferous 

 seeds," etc. Elaborate directions are given as regards sowing, 

 earthing-up, watering, and transplanting, and he recommends 

 that when oaks are set out in the wood they should be cut over 

 close to the ground. " Some repeat the cutting we spoke of the 

 second year, and after March (the moon decreasing) recut 

 them at half a foot from the surface ; and then meddle them no 

 more." Having dealt with nursery work, the author proceeds 

 to discuss the forest treatment of the individual trees. In the 

 light of our present knowledge, it is interesting to note that he 

 regards the spruce as the male of the silver fir, though he says 

 that he finds "botanists not unanimously agreed about the sexes 

 of trees." In his solicitude for the requirements of the navy, he 

 casts longing eyes on the forestal riches of Scotland. " In the 

 Scottish Highlands are trees of wonderful altitude . . . which 

 grow upon places so inaccessible, and far from the sea, that 

 (as one says) they seem to be planted by God on purpose for 

 nurseries of seed. . . . Did we consider the pains they take to 

 bring them out of the Alps, we should less stick at the difficulty 



