440 The Gardf.ner's New Director. 



vated places, you mufi: fall upon fome method to make 

 covers grow as much in two or three years, and to give 

 Jheller to the earth, and what is fown therein, as if the 

 fame had never been cultivated. 



I have made many experiments of this nature, by 

 fowing Thorns, Jimipers, &c. with the feeds of trees, 

 but this proved all inefFefliial; for many of thefe feeds 

 require to lie two years in the ground before they come 

 up, and confequently can be of no ufe to thefe young 

 trees that come up the year after fowing. Thebeft ieeds 

 for that purpofe, are the feeds ot the Marfaule, or French 

 PFillow, or what is botanically named Salix Alpina, alni 

 rotunda folio argetiteo, repens. It has round leaves, in- 

 dented on the edges, and grows very quickly without any 

 culture. In wet grounds, the cuttings of all forts of 

 Willows, and black and white Poplars, will grow very 

 well ; but for dry grounds. Thorns and Elders, and the 

 above named French Willow^ with fome dwarf clofe 

 growing Whins, are thebeft; and it is certain that the 

 roots of this underwood will do no harm lo Oaks or 

 Beech, becaufe the roots of thefe trees run farther down 

 than the roots of the underwood ; and when thele trees 

 grow up, they choak and kill all undej wood below^ them. 



It has for a long time been the conftant practice, to 

 make experiments to know the advantage that arifes from 

 the culture of woods and forefts ; and for that end I cau- 

 fed to be fown in my garden fome Ieeds, ot the fame 

 trees that I fowed in my woods. The latter I left to nai- 

 ture, but thofe in n)y garden were cultivated with the 

 greateft care and art poffible ; the effect was, that the 

 Oaks I fowed in my garden had ftems eight feet high, 

 and two and a half inches diameter at the bottom; while 

 thofe in the fields had ftems about the bignefs of my fin- 

 ger, and were but three feet high ; and the Oaks in my 

 garden had heads in eight years which ferved as a fuffi- 

 cient cover to their roots, but thofe in the fields had no 

 heads to cover their roots. Encouraged by the luccels 

 my trees had in the garden, I had recourfe to another 

 experiment, which was, to inclofe a part of my woods, 

 and there to bring' up my trees with the fame care I did 

 '\n my garden ; and when I found the earth was too ffiff 

 or too cold, I burnt a vafl deal of the cuttings and 



brandies 



