46 S Y L V A BOOK i 



in Devon, planted oaks as big as twelve oxen could 

 draw, to supply some defect in an avenue to one of 

 his houses ; as the Right Honourable the Lord Fitz- 

 Harding, late Treasurer of His Majesty's Household, 

 assur'd me ; who had himself likewise practis'd the 

 removing of great oaks by a particular address ex- 

 treamly ingenious, and worthy the communication. 



10. Chuse a tree as big as your thigh, remove the 

 earth from about him ; cut through all the collateral 

 roots, till with a competent strength you can enforce 

 him down upon one side, so as to come with your 

 ax at the top-root ; cut that off, redress your tree, 

 and so let it stand cover'd about with the mould you 

 loosen'd from it, till the next year, or longer if you 

 think good ; then take it up at a fit season ; it will 

 likely have drawn new tender roots apt to take, and 

 sufficient for the tree, wheresoever you shall trans- 

 plant him. Some are for laying bare the whole 

 roots, and then dividing it into 4 parts, in form of a 

 cross, to cut away the interjacent rootlings, leaving 

 only the cross and master-roots, that were spared to 

 support the tree ; and then covering the pit with 

 fresh mould (as above) after a year or two, when it 

 has put forth, and furnish'd the interstices you left 

 between the cross-roots, with plenty of new fibers 

 and tender shoots, you may safely remove the tree 

 itself, so soon as you have loosened and reduc'd the 

 4 decusseted roots, and shortned the top-roots : And 

 this operation is done without stooping or bending 

 the tree at all : And if in removing it with as much 

 of the clod about the new roots, as possible, it 

 would be much the better. 



Pliny notes it as a common thing, to re-establish 

 huge trees which have been blown down, part of 



