ANCIENT WOODS. 43 



and careless manner. The following is a specimen, 

 of what I have seen. The workman takes his 

 spade, and inserts it in the ground as far as it will 

 go, in a sloping direction ; he then raises it to a 

 perpendicular position , which, of course, produces 

 a "nick," into which he thrusts the plant, and 

 having put his heavy foot upon it, there and thus, 

 he leaves it to its fate, and pursues his ill-directed 

 labour, without a gleam of light breaking in upon 

 him, as to the possibility of his being more use- 

 fully employed, or doing his work in a more 

 effective manner ! In this way, or in some such 

 way as this, thousands of acres of Ancient Woods 

 are treated every year; but it must be clear to 

 every one, that such a -practice is a disgrace to 

 those who pursue it. If the workmen are asked 

 their opinion of it, they will, in most cases, assure 

 you, that the plants will "all grow" but the 

 misfortune is, that experience is against them. 

 Both theory and practice are directly opposed to 

 their view. But independently of facts, which 

 every where condemn such methods, no one ac- 

 quainted with the rudiments of the subject, needs 

 to be told, that it is utterly unlikely that either 



