\ 
z58 on rearing timber. Sune 6. 
of wood in. any island under the crown: of Great ' 
Britain, the Bafs, probably, excepted, when they see 
the scanty portion of soil that is necefsary to support - 
it, even on barren rocks ; but I am afraid you will 
think me in jest, when I affirm, that wesee every day, . 
in driving through the streets of Peterfburg, self 
sown birches, growing, in derision of such doctrine, 
out of the mofs collected on the tops of old houses, 
as you may be afsured by people, now in Edinburgh ; 
so very little is the portion of the soil necefsary for 
raising certain trees. If this last argument does not 
apologize for the liberty I took of smiling at the 
paper alluded to in this letter, I must plead guilty 
of contumacy, after just hinting at one other consi- 
deration, which militates on my side, vzz. that such 
efsays may lead people to suspect thatiJohnson’s 
laughable remark did not proceed so much from im-. 
perfect vision, as your patriots have willingly alled- 
ged, in which number, I hope, you will. include your 
correspondent : ARCTICUS.. 
P.S» AsI write rather for information than instruc» 
tion, I fhall be obliged to any of your learned corres- 
pondents, to paint out if there is any thing in our long © 
duration of frost and snow, or cther circumstances 
attending our climate, (which you are now well aca. 
quainted with, by the philosophical transactions of 
your Royal Society,) which give Finland advantages. 
over Scotland, on the subject that I have ignorantly . 
- . . - . 
~ engaged in ; as on conviction, I fhall, in future, treat’: 
‘with more respect the bare, and therefore bleak 
Tinds of Caledonia,-terms of opprobrium which I amse@.. 
