472 The Gardener's New Director. 



founded on his own experience; and he with confidence 

 can promife, that if ftriclly followed, they can fcarce 

 fail of the defired fuccefs. 



An Account of the bejl Method of planting Elm Trees, 

 on a coldy jUffy clayey Soil. 



SIR, 



I AM much furprifed to have feen fo little on the fub- 

 ject of planting: Some good diredions on this head 

 could not fail of being very ufeful to many gentlemen 

 who lead a country life, and have little elfe to do but to 

 improve their elfates, and be ufeful to their neighbours. 



My prefent intention is to inform you of an experi- 

 ment I made in the year 1757, of planting fome Elms 

 on a (liff clay, a foil which is, in general, in this coun- 

 ty, thought not fo well to fuit them as others of a light- 

 er and drier nature. 



My firft bufinefs in this grand affair was to lay a plan 

 of operation : accordingly, I marked out the ground, 

 driving a Imall ftake in the fpot where every tree was to 

 be planted. 



As foon as harveft was over, I hired fome labourers, 

 and made them dig a hole fix feet fquare, and four feet 

 deep, wherever they found a (lake, throwing the earth 

 which came out of the hole round its edges. 



When this work was done, I let it lie in the above flate 

 all that winter and the enfuing fummer, with an intent 

 that the (liff obftinate nature of the clay fhould be me- 

 liorated by the powerful influences of the frofts, fun, and 

 variable air. 



At the end of the fummer of i 738, I found I had not 

 loft my labour, vhen I came to examine the flate of my 

 experiment. The nature of the foil, wherever the air 

 could operate upon it, was entirely changed, the clay 

 being much lefs compaft, and approaching nearer to the 

 fubflance of a fliff loam, being crumbly, though clofe 

 in its texture. 



As foon as I found that my land was thus in proper or- 

 der for planting, I procured from an honcft nurfery-man, 



a luffi- 



