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FOR 



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rive when their descendants might 

 regret the improvidence of their 

 ancestors. Hence there seems to 

 have been a sort of hatred, an in- 

 describable prejudice against trees, 

 especially round their dwelhngs. 

 An exception, perhaps, ought to be 

 made in favour of some counties, 

 in which a httle degree of n'^ercy 

 was exercised to'vards our native 

 elms, which were permitted to re- 

 tain a parsimonious possession of 

 the waste lands of our public roads, 

 where they exhibit a melancholy 

 sample of the beauty of our native 

 forests. 



The above causes alone can ac- 

 count for the fact, that in our cli- 

 mate, where the summer months 

 are so hot, compared to the climate 

 of Europe, and where the clear- 

 ness of the sky seems to render 

 shade so much more important,we 

 find such a general warfare waged 

 upon trees in the vicinity of dwel- 

 ling-houses. 



" The Trustees of the Massa- 

 chusetts Agricultural Society, im- 

 pressed with these ideas, and 

 alarmed at the constant increase of 

 the price of fuel, have for twenty 

 years past,by offering premiums for 

 planting, and by remarks in their 

 periodical publications, endeavour- 

 ed to call the attention of the far 

 mers of this State, to this important 

 subject. It is remarkable,that but 

 one premium for planting, during 

 this period, has been claimed or 

 granted. Perhaps there was one 

 defect in the form in which the 

 premium was oflfered. It was con- 

 fined to those who should raise the 

 greatest number of trees, not less 

 than two thousand, from seed, — 



There seems to be no good reason 

 for this limitation ; on the contrary 

 the experience of European far- 

 mers and cultivators would seem to 

 authorize a preference for plant- 

 ing. The great obstacle to the lat- 

 ter mode, in our country, is the de- 

 fect of extensive nurseries. Land 

 must be uncommonly well prepar- 

 ed, and for a long succession of 

 years, watched and cultivated, in 

 order to raise trees from seed. — 

 The best mode of raising forest 

 trees in great quantities, is unques- 

 tionably that which has been adopt- 

 ed in Europe. Forest trees, though 

 so hardy and vigorous after they 

 have attained a certain size, are 

 remarkably tender in their early 

 growth. They require the aid of 

 professional men, and skilful gar- 

 deners ; and it is well known that 

 one or more transplantations, be- 

 fore they are finally planted out, is 

 requisite to give them that vigour 

 and abundance of small roots, 

 which are necessary to their suc- 

 cess. 



" The practice of transplanting 

 trees from our forests, of six or ten 

 years growth, robbed, as they must 

 be of the greater portion of their 

 fibrous roots, and suddenly expo- 

 sed to a soil and air, to which they 

 have been unaccustomed, cannot 

 be too much reprobated. The on- 

 ly thing which can be urged in its 

 favour, is the necessity of the case, 

 our nurseries not furnishing stocks 

 in sufiicient quantities for any con- 

 siderable experiment. It is how- 

 ever true, that it would be cheap- 

 er for an American cultivator, who 

 should be disposed to cover several 

 acres with forest trees, to import 



