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When such was the only master, under whom the art of 

 transplanting was studied in Scotland, wc shall not greatly 

 wonder at the slender advances it has made, or rather at the 

 ill success that has attended it, for more than half a century. 

 In fact, it may be said, that it is, at this moment, in no better 

 condition as to either skill or science, than Robertson left it, 

 threescore years since. This artist (according to the account 

 given by Hayes of his own practice,* which was borrowed 

 from Robertson's) was not very nice in his selection of sub- 

 jects, but took them indiscriminately, from close woods and 

 open dispositions, just as either fell in his way ; so that, if 

 his method was bad, as we have already seen, his subjects 

 must have been at least as bad as his method. As to the 

 attempt to introduce a better, there is reason to think, that, 

 more than thirty years since, I myself was probably the first 

 planter, who made known in Scotland the mode of preparing 

 the roots of trees, as practised by Lord Fitzharding ; and I 

 believe, it now passes with many, under the name of Tny 

 method, to the prejudice of the ingenious inventor. 



In a few years after the above period, Robertson was in- 

 vited to Ireland, under high and distinguished patronage, viz. 

 that of the Duke of Leinstei-, Mr. Conolly, Mr. Hayes of the 

 Royal Irish Academy, and other persons of taste and fortune, 

 leaving his business to be managed by his nephew George, 

 and James Ramsay, one of the most promising of his pupils. 

 Here also Robertson introduced the practice of removing large 

 trees, which, under his new employers, appears to have come 

 considerably into fashion. The machine of Brown was, of 

 course, carried over with him to Ireland ; and Mr. Hayes, in 

 his meritorious tract on Planting, and the Management of 

 Woods, gives an account of the implement, and the style of 

 Working it, as then taught, which entirely coincides with that 

 above described. Brown's vigorous and short-hand method 



* Practical Treatise on Plantino^. 

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