54 



had in most parts of the country, within these 

 three weeks past, I have found great numbers of 

 the firs, particularly those in exposed situations, 

 very much loosened in the roots, which has been 

 the means of killing more of them than the drought, 

 by admitting the air to the roots, and destroying 

 the moisture, which kills the roots, although the 

 soil is good and deep. If the following is attended 

 to immediately, — going through and carefully firm- 

 ing them at the roots, many of them may yet be 

 saved; not a moment should be lost in attending 

 to this. Where top shoots of the spruce and silver 

 firs are dead, and the under shoots healthy, the 

 top shoots should be cut off. I have found 

 this always, where they had sap in the roots, to 

 save the life of the plant or tree when the side 

 roots are healthy ; it will be found to answer 

 the purpose completely, when the firs are intended 

 chiefly for nurses ; but when they are intended to 

 be reared as ornamental trees, this sometimes causes 

 them to grow horizontal or crooked. 



Layering Natural Oak Woods. — To those 

 noblemen and gentlemen in the Highlands of 

 Scotland, who have extensive tracts of natural oak 

 wood, I beg to say, that I was aware, before hear- 

 ing from many of you, that the layering from the 

 young oak shoots would be a complete failure this 

 season. To those of you who have been going on 

 with the plan of layering, and who have planted 

 hundreds of acres in this way, and are convinced 

 of the utility of the method, having seen stronger 

 and better growths in two years from the layers, 



