45^ The Gardener's New Director. 



as wtU as the Oak, which appears from the many large 

 logs of both thefe timbers that have been found in ma- 

 ny buihiings in London, from Hctiry the lid's time, till 

 within thefe fifty years pafl:. And in the northern parts 

 of Briltiin, r\Qzv Edivhurgh, I have feen the wuoden paits 

 of the roofs of ftables and covv-hoiifes, vi^here, by the 

 breath of the cautcj other woods have been rotted, thole 

 roofs tnade of Chcfnut trees have remained found for 

 above fifty years. Thofe trees, therefore, when properly 

 planted in our woods, cannot fail to be of very great ule 

 and profit to the owners. Suffer me, therefore, to be 

 fomewhat particular upon the culture of this tree. As 

 foon as you defign to plant the nuts, you are to diflin- 

 guirti between what you are to plant in your woods, and 

 what you are to plant out for pleafure in avenues, or for 

 bearing fruit. They require a very different culture, 

 and you mull take a refolution before you plant them, 

 which of the different niethods you intend? fo as not to 

 confound the one with the other. I fhall begin with giv- 

 ing you directions concerning thofe which are to be 

 planted in woods for profit. The proper choice of feeds, 

 is an article of greater importance than many per- 

 fons imagine; but as upon this depends your fuccefs, it 

 will be neceffary to attend carefully to it. 



We annually receive thefe nuts from Spain, Portugal^ 

 and France; and we aifo have thera from England. The 

 qucftion is, whether we fhould plant what comes from 

 Southern climates, or the nuts which we receive from 

 England, in our woods ? One would naturally think, that 

 the nuts which grow here would be more proper to plant 

 out in uoods, where they would moft probably meet 

 with rougher treatment and harder weather than thofe 

 trees which are planted near a gentleman's feat, or in a 

 well fenced inclofure. But experience, the mother of 

 all fciences, teaches us rather to chufe thofe nuts which 

 come from Spain and Portugal, provided they are large, 

 fair, and well ripened in the woods. 'J hofe nuts being 

 larger by half than what we receive from England, con- 

 ftquently the tree muff be larger alfo, and the ftouter 

 the tree, the better able it will be to bear bardfhips. A 

 twelvemonth before you intend to plant, make choice of 

 the bed fenced ground, and beft foil in your woods ; dig 



pits 



