58 ORMISTOUN^S LETTERS 



the long frost. I wish a good hearty shower to bring away 

 what has been put into the Ground and to take out the 

 coldness still in the air. As the days are long I hope Alex^ 

 and Robertson advance well in the Upper Wood. If you 

 think a man with them can finish it within the month of 

 April get Ch. Cokburne if you can presently, for that, and 

 hurry them as much as you can consistent with doing the body 

 well up and thinning the tops at same time, to which I desire 

 that you'l give very particular attention, and tell me 

 frequently how they go on, and how what they do looks. Will 

 there not be plenty of Oak and Birch Spars and a good deal 

 of Bark there against May comes three years, after this weed- 

 ing ? Look through it with this view and tell me what you 

 Guess. Are the plants lately sent down well rooted and good, 

 and what age do the Mulberries seem to be of, and of what 

 height are they above the ground when planted ? 



Where you have planted trees out of Nursery beds you 

 should sow a drill of Turnips between every row the beginning 

 of May to Shade them in June and July and to keep the 

 ground moist. The like when Elms or other Trees are 

 planted now, off the Mothers, and where larger are removed 

 this Spring, you may put larger plants such as Cabbages where 

 room and they don't rise high enough to overtop them. I 

 observe many of our Seeds of trees and the like don't come up 

 the first year and but poor shoots if they do come. This in a 

 great measure is owing to the time of sowing of them, for 

 being put in now it requires a time before they ripen in the 

 ground, swell and get out of their husk and so the natural 

 Spring time is over by the time they have performed this 

 work and so they come up when the natural Spring Shooting 

 is over and only get the later shoot that year, if they come at 

 all, and are weak when Winter comes upon them and the Seeds 

 that lie in the ground till next year are weakened by being in 

 the ground so long. If put into the ground at the natural 

 season which is soon after they are ripe the part to be 

 performed in the ground will be done by the time we generally 

 sow them, and they'l come earlier and get more strength 

 before Winter comes again and most will come away the first 

 Spring. What are in Sand or earth the first Winter should 



