115 



Some years after this, I tried otFier subjects, from forest 

 glades, or open spaces in the interior of woods, where the 

 trees were mucli taller and handsoiner. Their disposition 

 having been pretty open, and the lightness of the soil aflbrd- 

 ing good rooting-ground, their roots and fibres had struck 

 more abundantly, than in the other subjects just now men- 

 tioned. Their bark, likewise, appeared more sound and 

 healthy, and free from the coarse and rugged surface, which 

 was remarkable in the hedge-row plants. For these reasons, 

 they were the subjects from which I anticipated the most 

 certain success. This took place more than thirty years ago. 



It may easily be imagined, that, in these rude attempts, 

 many deaths occurred, and that a small number only out- 

 lived the operation ; but the lessons which were derived from 

 them, after standing on the open ground for four or five 

 years, were very instructive. I shall most probably surprise 

 the young planter (as, indeed, I was surprised myself) by 

 stating, that those, which I then found to succeed the best, 

 were not what had shown the most numerous roots, as was 

 conjectured, but what had acquired the thickest and coarsest 

 coat of bark, and possessed the stoutest stems, if accompanied 

 with branches and spray pretty thickly set. In the second 

 place only came the plants from woody glades, of which the 

 roots were so promising, and seemed to confer on them so 

 great a superiority. In other words, it appeared to me, that 

 the success of the trees, their new situation and soil being 

 equal, was in the ratio of their previous exposure, and 

 their consequent power of protecting the sap-vessels ; which 

 power seemed always commensurate to exposure. 



Subsequently, various other experiments on a small scale 

 were instituted, with such subjects as could be procured. 

 But, in searching for these, I was necessarily confined to old 

 and established plantations, which, although of some extent, 

 and containing some variety of soil and cUmate, were 3'^et im- 

 perfectly suited to the purpose. The important transplanting 



