P L A 



P L A 



out a leader a tree can never aspire to any con- 

 siderable stature; for the leader, by its annual 

 erect shoot, gradually increases the length of 

 the stem, and, as it advances, sends out a sup- 

 ply of laterals to furnish the head, branching 

 and spreading. 



In planting tall trees, where it is designed to 

 form shade, shelter, or blind as soon as possi- 

 ble, very little reduction of the branches of the 

 head should be suffered, only to reduce any very 

 irregular growers. 



In removing pretty large trees of any sort 

 with considerable heads, especially when very 

 spreading or crowded, it may be proper to re'- 

 ducc the whole regularly in some proportion to 

 the root, that the winds may not have too much 

 power to incommode it after planting ; in which 

 cases it may be necessary to retrench or re- 

 duce some of the most extensive lower 

 branches, and thin out some where much crowd- 

 ed, reducing others down to some convenient 

 lateral branch they may support, so as each re- 

 duced branch may, notwithstanding its reduc- 

 tion, terminate in a leader, having its top en- 

 tire, not to exhibit naked ends of branches, 

 standing up like stumps. 



In respect to the preparation for planting of all 

 the shrub kind, only just trim the straggling un- 

 der branches and shoots from the lower part of 

 the stem, retrenching any luxuriants of the heads 

 that seem to shoot away very irregularly and vi- 

 gorously at the expense of the neighbouring 

 branches, and reducing long ramblers, &c., 

 just to preserve a little regularity. 



All new planted tall trees should be staked as 

 soon as planted, in order to support them steady 

 every where till they are well rooted and have 

 somewhat established their roots, that winds may 

 not overset, or otherwise incommode them; 

 particularly all trees of six, eight, or ten feet 

 high, and upwards ; one tall stout stake being 

 placed to each tree, or more, if the trees are of 

 large size, sharpening the lower ends, and driv- 

 ing them firmly into the ground near the stem ; 

 or if larger trees, place it slantways, at a little di- 

 stance, so as its top reach the upper part of the 

 stem, on the opposite side to that most exposed 

 to the winds, in which it will have the greatest 

 effect; but large trees with full heads, should 

 generally have very tall strong stakes, three to 

 each tree, placed triangular-ways, in an oblique 

 or slanting direction, afterwards binding the 

 •stems of the trees firmly to the stakes, previ- 

 ously wrapping some soft substance, such as 

 hay-bands, &c., round them, at the part where 

 it is to be fastened to the stakes, in order to save 

 the ba;k from being rubbed off'agaiustihe stakes 

 by the motion of the winds, \v))ich is more par- 



ticularly necessary to tall plants that are much 

 exposed. 



Large trees of considerable stature, with full 

 heads, are often supported with ropes suspended 

 from the top of the stem three different ways, 

 straining them tight, and the end of each rope 

 staked securely down to the ground ; so that 

 whatsoever way the wind blows the ropes stay 

 the tree still in its upright position. 



Such new planted trees as are exposed to cat- 

 tle should each be well fortified all round the 

 stem with thorn bushes. 



The general season of planting, for all sorts 

 of trees, is autumn and spring, as from the be- 

 ginning of the decay of the leaf, in October, 

 until December, for the former; though ever- 

 greens may be begun to be transplanted towards 

 the middle or latter end of September and con- 

 tinued till December. And for the spring plant- 

 ing, February and March is the principal time, 

 but may be continued occasionally until April ; 

 and several sorts of tender young evergreens 

 succeed best when planted the beginning of 

 that month, or later. Much, however, in this 

 business, must depend on the soil and state of 

 the weather. 



In preparing to plant herbaceous fibrous-rooted 

 plants, care is to be had to remove them with 

 good roots ; young seedlings, &c., especially 

 require particular care in drawing them with 

 proper roots. When they are to be taken all 

 clean up, they may be readily loosened and 

 raised out of the earth with some instrument 

 with all their fibres entire ; but when they are 

 only to be thinned, they do not admit of this, 

 as It would disturb the remaining plants, so 

 must be drawn out by hand carefully, with as 

 much root as possible. 



Many sorts of fibrous-rooted plants, however, 

 are so hardy, and apt to grow, that if taken up 

 almost any how, with a little root, they will 

 strike : it is nevertheless advisable to use care in 

 drawing all sorts for planting with tolerable 

 roots, as they will in proportion make more 

 progress in their future growth. And as to any 

 trimming preparatory to planting, very little is 

 wanted, only in some sorts, just shortening 

 very long naked spindly roots, and trimming 

 any straggling fibres ; though in numbers of 

 plants of this tribe hardly any trinmiing at all 

 is required, either in root or top. 



PLATAN US, a genus containing plants of 

 the exotic deciduous tree kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Monoecia 

 Pohjandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 ArnentacecE, 



The characters are : that the male flow-ers are 

 compound, forming a globular anient. The 

 2 I 2 



