10 ORMISTOUN^S LETTERS 



the way of being smothered with Grass will be wanted. Trees 

 that have been transplanted this year won't doe for planting 

 out next tho' of size, as they l be too weak for putting into the 

 Wood where cattle must gett in 15 years after cutting, for the 

 trees transplanted for two years together won't gett strength in 

 two years, at least, after being sett out, to make any Shoots, so 

 as the time is short we must have healthful trees to plant in the 

 Wood, and that in Autome, that they may take hold of the 

 ground in the Winter and be the safer from a drie Spring the 

 year after. 



If it is the lower end of the Wood that is to be begun with 

 to be cutt this year, Allers ^ will be wanted as I believe some of 

 it is wett. Have you of them. How many trees of each kind 

 are commonly planted in a years cutting of the Wood. Such 

 things must be considered and known in order to judge what 

 we can doe and what will be wanted. So look out narrowly, 

 compute and lett me know what you have, what you'l want 

 next year for the Wood to be cut and what for hedge rowes. 

 If the Acorns gett safe to you and each of the Tennents have 

 dibled into their banks of them as I wrott to Alex*" Wight 

 when I sent them, they 1 be pretty well as to the Oaks for the 

 ditches they have now, and if they will next Winter dibble in 

 Ashen Kyes ^ as I also wrot to Alex"" at the same time, they '1 

 doe pretty well also for their present ditches of that kind, and 

 where for the future any come to want being supply'd I hope 

 we shall have English Elms from Nursery for them, but for 

 two years to come we shall fall short for the Wood, as also for 

 any new Inclosures or divisions which the Tennents shall make 

 and for ffirs for the Wood till what you sow this spring shall 

 come to a proper hight. This as appears to me is the best 

 tho' a very poor situation of our Nurserys. I wish you could 

 fall upon a good seed bed of 2 or 3000 ffirrs and plant them 

 out just now in Nursery, possibly if putt in good nursery 

 ground some of them in two years may run high enough to be 

 ventured in the Wood. If you can gett such a thing for love 



^ Alders, among the oldest of our native trees. It enjoys a moist situation. 

 A.-S. air shows that d is intrusive in ' alder.' This tree plays a great part in 

 folk-lore. Cf. Goethe's Erl-konig, the elf-king. The sap shows a bright red. 



'■^ Keys or seeds of the ash. 



