71 



provement possessed the double advantage of contributing, 

 by the height of the wheels, to the safety of the tree during 

 the transmission ; and, by materially increasing the dispatch, 

 it proportionally diminished the cost of the process. 



Notwithstanding the superior character, and elegant learn- 

 ing of Messrs. Price and Knight, and the weight which may 

 be allowed to their authority, it is impossible for us to con- 

 ceive, that Brown was as destitute of genius and talents, as 

 they would willingly persuade us. The idea is clearly dis- 

 proved, by the prodigious extent of his reputation, and of 

 the works in which he was employed.* It will not, there- 

 fore, be thought too much to say here, that his genius was of 

 that aspiring and ardent sort, which fitted him rather for 

 bold design, than minute detail and patient investigation ; 

 and, as the character and properties of trees formed a study 

 belonging to objects of the latter class, it could not very long 

 detain his attention. Besides, he perceived, that it was by 

 no means applicable to the execution of great outlines of 

 Wood, how useful soever and effective it might become for 

 the foreground, and the middle distance of the landscape. 

 Be this, however, as it may, it appears, that the art received 

 no further improvement at his hands, and seemingly as little 

 at those of his successors. Even the ingenious contrivance 

 of Lord Fitzharding to multiply the roots of trees, seems 

 little to have attracted his notice. In transplanting, at the 

 numerous places, which he improved or altered in England, 

 this method was never resorted to. The process he followed 

 was a very simple one, namely, to root up the trees by the 

 shortest possible method, and convey them, in the speediest 

 way, to their several destinations. He preferred, however, 

 to work with his machine during frost, when earth, in masses 

 greater or less, would adhere to the roots, and be readily lifted 

 with them. As to severely defacing, and even pollarding 



* Note XIII. 



