not however often feen in fuch perfection. 

 In the fpring of the year 1776, it was more 

 than commonly profufe. Indeed the bloom 

 of foreft-trees in general is rarely annual; it 

 appears in profufion only every fecond, or 

 third year 3 and even then, feldom all the 

 trees of the fame kind bloom at once. Thus, 

 when you look into a grove of oaks, about 

 the beginning of may, you will fuppofe per- 

 haps, that fome are much forwarder in leaf 

 than others ; whereas in fact this appearance 

 arifes chiefly from their being in bloom ; their 

 little penfile catkins hanging in knots, adorned 

 with tufts of young leaves. 



Having thus made a few obfervations on 

 the forms of trees, their different modes of 

 growth, and other peculiarities ; I mould add, 

 that I am far from fuppofing, nature to act 

 always in exaft conformity to the appear- 

 ances, which I have here marked. In the 

 general mode of growth, which each fpecies 

 obferves, no doubt, me is uniform: but in 

 the particular manner, in which the item 

 rifes, the branches fhoot, the foliage hangs, 

 and indeed, if I may fo fpeak, in the fpecific 



i character 



