606 Cultivation of Grafs Land. Planting. Timber- Trcef, $c. 



extremes of meagre fterility and exceflive fertility, fo much the better, fince all the 

 kinds do not exactly thrive alike in the fame foil ; and an opportunity would there 

 by be afforded of placing each in that more congenial to its nature. The fite 

 fhould neither be high nor low, flickered norexpofed, in any extreme, for the fame 

 reafon, viz. that it may the more generally anfwer all purpofes. For a nurfery of 

 this dcfcription,nothing can be more eligible than the fpot which may occafional- 

 ly be occupied as a kitchen-garden. The pulverization and mellownefs afforded 

 by the previous growth of various culinary crops, bring the land into the moft 

 fuitable ftate for the railing of young trees, and at the fame time clear it the 

 mod effectually from vermin, as the grub, and other infects.*&quot; 



The ground mould conftantly be well dug or trenched over to its full depth ; 

 and when, necefTary, well drefled with cornpofts of lime, marl, dung, and other 



* For the extenh ye plantations of the Duke of Portland, in Nottinghamfhire, where the foil is of 

 light fandy kind, &quot; fome well fituated valley is chofen, as near the centre of the intended plantations as 

 poffible, for the purpofe of a nurfery. If this valley is furrounded with hills on all fides but the fouth 

 Ib much the better. A piece of ground, confiding of as many acres as is convenient for the purpofe, 

 is fenced about infuch a manner as to keep out all noxious animals. At each end of the nurfery, 

 large boarded gates are fixed, and alfo a road made down the middle wide enough to admit carriages 

 to go through, which is found exceedingly convenient in removing the young trees from thence to the 

 plantations. After the fence is completed, the ground on each fide the road is trenched about twenty 

 inches deep, which may be done for about 31. 10s. or 4-1. per acre, according as the land is more or 

 lefs gravelly. It is beft done in the fpring, when the planting feafon is over. If after the trenching 

 two or three chaldron of lime be laid on an acre, the land will produce an excellent crop either of 

 cabbages or turnips, which being eaten off byfheep in the autumn, will make the land in fine order foe 

 all forts of tree- feeds ; but as the oak is the fort of tree cultivated in general ; this is the method pur- 

 fued in raifing and managing that moft valuable fpecies : &quot; In the autumn, after the cabbage or tur 

 nips are eaten off, the ground requires nothing more than common digging. As foon as the acorns fall, 

 after being provided with a good quantity, fow them in the following manner : Draw drills with a 

 hoe in the fame manner as is pra&ifed forpeafe,and fow the acorns therein fo thick as nearly to touch 

 each other, and leave the fpace of one foot between row and row, and between every fifth row the fpacc 

 of two feet for the alleys. While the acorns are in the ground, great care muft be taken to keep 

 them from vermin, which would very often make great havoc amongft the beds if not timely prevented. 

 Let this caution ferve for moft other forts of tree-feeds.&quot; 



After the acorns are come up the beds require only to be kept clean from weeds till they want thin 

 ning ; and as the plants frequently grow more in one wet feafon where the foil is tolerably good, than 

 in two dry ones where the foil is indifferent, the time for doing this is beft ascertained by obferving 

 when the tops of the rows meet ; which is done, when that is the cafe, by taking away one row on 

 each fide the middlemoft, which leaves the remaining three rows the fame diftance apart as the breadth. 



