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P L A 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



P L A 



Planting. Although the method of planting the various 

 sorts of trees is fully set down under their several articles, 

 where each kind is mentioned, it may be of great use to give 

 a brief general view of that important subject. The first 

 thing in planting trees is obviously to prepare the ground. 

 This should be done according to the different sorts of trees 

 intended to be planted, and before they are taken out of the 

 earth; for the less time they are out of the ground, the less 

 danger there will be of their failure. In taking up the trees, 

 carefully dig the earth away round their roots, so as to come 

 at their several parts to cut them off; for if they be carelessly 

 torn out of the ground, the roots will be broken and bruised, 

 and the trees in consequence greatly injured. After they are 

 taken up, the next thing is to prepare them for planting: in 

 doing which there are two things to be principally regarded ; 

 the one is to prepare the roots, and the other to prune their 

 heads in such a manner as may most promote the future growth 

 of the trees. At first as it respects the roots : all the small 

 fibres are to be cut off as near as possible to the place from 

 which they are produced, except in those trees which are 

 intended to be replanted the instant they are taken up, other- 

 wise the air will turn all the small roots and fibres black, 

 and then, if they are suffered to be replanted with the tree, 

 they will grow mouldy and decay, and thereby greatly injure 

 the new fibres which are produced, so that the trees often 

 miscarry for want of this precaution. After the fibres are 

 cut off, all the bruised or broken roots should be cut smooth, 

 otherwise they are apt to rot, and distemper the trees , and 

 all irregular roots which cross each other and the downright 

 roots, especially in fruit-trees, must be cut off; so that when 

 the roots are regularly pruned, they may in some measure 

 resemble the fingers of a hand when spread open; then the 

 larger root should be shortened in proportion to the age and 

 strength of the tree. The particular sorts of trees also are 

 to be considered, for the Walnut, Mulberry, and some other 

 tender-rooted kinds, should not be pruned so close as the 

 more hardy sorts of fruit or forest trees, which in young fruit- 

 trees, such as Pears, Apples, Plums, Peaches, &c. that are 

 but one year old from budding or grafting, may be left about 

 eight or nine inches long, but in older trees they must be 

 left of a much gieater length ; but this is to be understood of 

 the larger roots only, for the small ones must be quite cut out, 

 or pruned very short. Their extreme parts, which are generally 

 very weak, commonly decay after moving, so that it is better 

 entirely to displace them. The next thing is the pruning of 

 their heads, which must be differently performed in different 

 trees, for the design of the trees must also be considered : if 

 they be fruit-trees, and intended for walls or espaliers, it is 

 the better way to plant them with the greatest part of their 

 heads, which should remain on till the spring, just before the 

 trees begin to shoot, when they must be cut down to five or 

 six eyes, the process of which is fully described under the vari- 

 ous kinds of fruit. But if the trees are designed for standards, 

 you should prune off the small branches close to the places 

 where they are produced ; also, irregular branches which 

 cross each other, and by their motion when agitated by the 

 wind rub or bruise their bark, so as to produce great wounds. 

 Besides, it makes a disagreeable appearance, and adds to 

 the closeness of the head, which should always be avoided 

 in fruit-trees, the branches of which should be preserved as 

 far distant from each other as they are usually produced when 

 in a regular way of growth, which in all sorts of trees is 

 proportioned to the si/e of their leaves and the magnitude of 

 their fruit : for when their heads are very thick, which is 

 often occasioned by the unskilful shortening of their branches, 

 the sun and air cannot pass freely between the leaves ; so 



that the fruit must be small and ill-tasted. But after having 

 displaced these branches, cut off all such parts of branches 

 as have been accidentally broken or wounded, or they will 

 remain a disagreeable sight, and often occasion a disease in 

 the tree. By no means, however, ought the leading shoots 

 to be cut off, according to the injudicious practice of many ; 

 for they are necessary to attract the sap from the root, and 

 thereby promote the growth of the tree. From experiments 

 made by cutting off the branches of several sorts of trees, 

 and putting them into phials filled with water, the tops being 

 closely covered to prevent the evaporation of the water, it 

 was found that those shoots, the leading buds of which were 

 preserved, did attract the moisture in much greater quantities 

 than those shoots, the tops of which were cut off; and from 

 several experiments made by the Rev. Dr. Hales, we find 

 that great quantities of moisture are imbibed at wounds where 

 branches are cut off; so that by thus shortening the branches, 

 the wet, which generally falls in great plenty during the winter 

 season, is abundantly imbibed, and, for want of leaves to per- 

 spire it off, mixes with the sap of trees, and thereby dis- 

 tending the vessels, destroys their contracting force, which 

 often kills the tree, and generally weakens it so much that 

 some years will 'elapse before it can be recovered. In order 

 to satisfy himself fully on this point, Mr. Miller made the fol- 

 lowing experiment. I made choice, says he, of two standard 

 Almond-trees, of equal strength and age. These I took up 

 as carefully as possible, and, having prepared their roots as 

 above directed, I pruned their heads in the following manner. 

 Of the first, I only cut off the small branches, and such as 

 were bruised or broken, but preserved all the strong ones 

 entire ; of the other, I shortened all the strong branches, and 

 pruned off the weak and broken shoots, as is the common 

 practice. These two trees I planted in the same soil and the 

 same situation ; gave them both equal attendance.and managed 

 them as nearly alike as possible ; yet in the spring, when 

 these trees began to shoot, the shoots from that, the branches 

 of which were entirely preserved, came out earlier, continued 

 to shoot stronger, and appeared more healthy than the other. 

 He afterwards made several other experiments, which suc- 

 ceeded in the same manner : from which it is reasonable to 

 conclude, that the shortening the branches is a great injury to 

 all newly planted trees, but especially to Cherries and Horse 

 Chesnuts, which are frequently killed by shortening the large 

 branches when removed. Having thus prepared the trees 

 for planting, the next thing is the placing them in the ground : 

 if however the trees have been so long out of it that the roots 

 are become dry, it will be advisable to put them in water 

 for eight or ten hours before they are planted, observing to 

 put them in such a manner that their heads may remain erect, 

 and their roots only be immersed therein, which will swell the 

 dried vessels of the roots, and prepare them to imbibe nou- 

 rishment from the earth. In fixing them, great regard should 

 be had to the nature of the soil; in which, if cold and moisr, 

 the trees should be planted very shallow ; as also if it be a 

 hard rock or gravel, it will be much better to raise a hill of 

 earth where each tree is to be planted, than to dig into the 

 rock or gravel, as is too often practised, whereby the trees 

 are planted as it were in a tub, there being but little room 

 for their roots to extend; so that after two or three years' 

 growth, when their roots have extended to the sides of the 

 hole, they are stopped by the rock or gravel, and can get no 

 further, which causes the tree to decline, and in a few years 

 die ; besides, these holes detain the moisture so, that the 

 fibres of the plants are often rotted thereby. But when they 

 are raised above the surface of the ground, tlieir roots will 

 extend and find nourishment, though the earth upon the rock 



