Chap. 12. The Conclufion. 327 



(hoot much the ftronger 5 for a young Seed- 

 ling Oak is in its own Nature too weak to be- 

 gin a Foundation for fo ftrong a Tree ^ at Icaft, 

 'tis much more pleafing to fee a good ftrong 

 Shoot of one Year, than a bufliy Bottom, or a 

 few weak, irregular, and confus'd Shoots. 

 !n Nurferies, People ftiould be at the Trouble 

 of tying them up to ftrait Stakes, otherwife 

 they will be apt to grow crooked. 



In teneris ajfuejcere ?nuUum efl^ 



was a modeft Affertion of Tirgil\ and is ne- 

 ver more fdln than in this Tree ^ for altho* 

 we every Day fee whole Groves of Oaks, that 

 doubtlefs had none of this Care ever beftow*d 

 on them 5 yet, when we come to aflift Na- 

 ture in this cafe, we are indifpenfably oblig'd 

 to follow it 5 and we may obferve. That in 

 a promifcuous Thicket, Nature works her 

 own Effeds 5 the Thicket in the firft place 

 draws up the Oak, keeps it from burnifhing 

 and breaking out into fuch Bufties as other- 

 wife they would do, naturally ftifles and 

 prunes off the the Horizontal, Collateral, or 

 Side-Branches, call it which you will, and 

 forces the Current of the Sap direftly per- 

 pendicular ^ this therefore we ought by all 

 means to do. I have already mentioned fome- 

 thing of pruning the Side-Shoots of a Tree: 

 When the young Oaks are therefore tied to a 

 Stake, by no means fuffer the Shoots of each 

 Side to open large and knotty 5 but if you 

 do not rub them off as ihey come out in the 

 Y 4 Summer, 



