102 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



Lord Fitzharding " likewise practised the removing 

 of great oaks, by a particular address, extremely in- 

 genious, and worthy of communication."* The most 

 extensive of the continental transplanters was Louis 

 XIV., who removed an entire forest, the Bois de 

 Boulogne, from Versailles to its present site, a dis- 

 tance of more than seven miles. I3\it these were ef- 

 forts of power rather than of science, for the trees 

 were much torn and mutilated by the operation. The 

 great transplanting machine which was made use of 

 in these extraordinary experiments remained at Ver- 

 sailles till, probably, about the time of the French re- 

 volution. 



Le Notre was the artist employed in those opera- 

 tions — the same who laid out the gardens of Ver- 

 sailles, and planted St. James's and Greenwich parks 

 in this country. Nor were the undertakings of Louis, 

 in the removing of timber, confined to the vicinity of 

 the French capital ; for many of them were performed 

 in the provinces ; and of these one of the most re- 

 markable was effected at Mont-Louis, a small cha- 

 teau near the foot of the Pyrenees, where, in the 

 course of a few weeks, a scene previously naked was 

 clothed with forests and groves of great magnificence, 



Evelyn informs us that the example of the French 

 was soon followed in this country ; and that he him- 

 self had " frequently removed elms as big as his 

 waist." He describes the elm as bearing removal 

 better than any other species ; but the instance of the 

 lime-trees moved by the Elector Palatine shows how 

 wtII that tree can bear transplantation, even in the 

 most dangerous season. 



The methods at first used for the transporting of 



trees, if not very scientific, were extremely ingenious. 



The object was to raise them with a large ball of 



earth, and move them along in a vertical position. 



* Evelyn's Sylva, by Hunter; i. 102. 



