20 S Y L V A BOOK i 



drenching the mould with water ; especially in over- 

 dry seasons, and by meliorating barren-ground with 

 sweet and comminuted loetations : Let therefore this 

 be received as a maxim, never to plant a fruit or 

 forest-tree where there has lately been an old decay'd 

 one taken up ; till the pit be well ventilated, and 

 furnish'd with fresh mould. 



7. The author of the Natural History, Pliny ', tells 

 us it was a vulgar tradition, in his time, that no tree 

 should be removed under two years old, or above 

 three : Cato would have none transplanted less than 

 five fingers in diameter ; but I have shew'd why we 

 are not to attend so long for such as we raise of 

 seedlings. In the interim, if these directions appear 

 too busie, or operose, or that the plantation you 

 intend be very ample, a more compendious method 

 will be the confused sowing of acorns, Gf c. in furrows, 

 two foot asunder, covered at three fingers depth, and 

 so for three years cleansed, and the first winter cover'd 

 with fern, without any farther culture, unless you 

 transplant them ; but, as I shewed before, in nurseries, 

 they would be cut an inch from the ground, and 

 then let stand till March the second year, when it 

 shall be sufficient to disbranch them to one only 

 shoot, whether you suffer them to stand, or remove 

 them elsewhere. But to make an essay what seed is 

 most agreeable to the soil, you may by the thriving 

 of a promiscuous semination make a judgment of, 



What each soil bears, and what it does refuse. 



transplanting those which you find least agreeing 

 with the place ; or else, by copsing the starvelings in 



1 Quid quaeque ferat regio, & quid quaeque recuset. 



