4 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



planting. If he is my Serv^ and working about the planting 

 his business, I believe it will dispatch business best that you 

 go with him, when any are to be planted by him that you go 

 down and work with him and keep him to itt and see that he 

 does right, and the like when he has such a piece of Work as 

 the sneding ^ of the Wood by east the Town or such other 

 things, and of the other hand when you have any thing to doe 

 bring him up to assist you, for when he is alone I fear he will 

 doe little and not well. I would also have you sometimes be 

 w^ Alex'^ Cokburne to assist him, espicially when he has a Piece 

 of Work which requires dispatch, and when you have some 

 jobb in Garden, Nursery or otherwise, that you call him and 

 his man to make up for the time you have help'd him. By 

 this way more bussines will be done and you '1 see to all being 

 done right, for if things are not done right money and time is 

 lost, and sometimes they had better be lett alone. Alex"* 

 Cokb: his man, Ch: Cokburne,^ you and your man if you have 

 one would quickly go through two years cutting of Alex*" 

 Wight^s Wood, and then you altogether would soon go through 

 the Wood at the east end of the Town, and you would be sure 

 all was well done. The like in sneding or supplying hedge 

 row trees or pruning any of the other Woods, and so many of 

 you would soon putt a piece of Nursery ground or Garden 

 ground in order. Don't neglect what I wrote to Alex'^ Wight 

 of making Nursery ground good, as far as you can this year 

 but for certain against next. Plant the tall Horse Chesnutts 

 and Yews as you propose or in any other place you shall be 

 ordered. You know the Horse Chesnutts must not be too 

 much exposed to winds. If you plant Walnutts the ground 

 must be well wrought for a good depth and also a large hole 

 for them. Their roots are tender and if they have not open 

 earth for shooting their roots down in and also round, they 

 will sitt. Ashes mixM with the mould will help them much as 

 it will keep it open. I expect to hear frequently from you and 

 I desire you will lett me know every time who have been em- 



^ Pruning. Cf. Ger. schneiden^ to cut. 



2 John Cockburn's elder brother was Adam. He died in early youth. John's 

 youngest brother Charles was an advocate (d. June 1742). The Cockburns 

 here were not relatives, but tenant-servants. 



