223 



(Considered not only one of the most dc- 

 lightfid, but the most useful of human at- 

 tainments. And, certainly, whoever 

 wishes to practise, either as a designer, a 

 Planter, or a Superintendant of Ornamenr- 

 tal Gardens, or Plantations, or even as a 

 Woodman, must either study the means 

 of directing, assisting, and occasionally 

 controlling the powers of vegetation ; or 

 he can neither acquit himself with full 

 credit, nor properly to the advantage of 

 his employer. 



JVou?ids, — ^I'he word conveys a A'ery se- 

 rious idea to the mind ; and hence, we 

 find them treated b}^ superficial writers, 

 with an attention, always tedious, often 

 absurd, and generally useless. But 

 though wounds, dangerous enough to de- 

 serve attention, may be inflicted some- 

 times, such never happens under a regu- 

 lar and good system of pruning, for three 

 reasons. First, they are always small : 

 secondly, they arc inflicted upon healthy 



