88 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY 



fome laudable experiments for facilitating the 

 growth of timber, by keeping the bark clean from 

 mofs, and opening the furface of the earth round 

 the trees, to let moiflure and air into the roots : 

 and though this ailillance cannot be given to trees 

 upon a very large fcale, it may often be adopted 

 in favourite fpots, and fmall plantations, to great 

 advantage ; and he has fo judicioufly fcattered a 

 great number of trees on the fides of the road near 

 his rehdence, by planting them in the Flemiih flile, 

 without their heads, that they have flourifhed ex- 

 tremely, and changed the dreary profpeel of a poor 

 common to an agreeable fylvan fcene. 



This practice of Mr. Marfham's having been 

 mifunderftood, from my former way of defcribing 

 it, it is incumbent on me to give it fome explana- 

 tion. 



In Flanders, where they plant trees eight or ten 

 feet high, it is a very common thing to ftrike off 

 part of the fpray, and fometimes the top itfelf, to 

 prevent the wind from having too much power over 

 it, till the roots have taken hold. 



Mr. Marfham imitates this practice, and by fo 

 doing, has railed a great number of valuable trees 

 upon a poor bleak heath, where he could not 

 otherwise- have raifed them at all ; for he did not 

 like to deprive the poor of their herbage, by in- 



clofing 



