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relative. They act and react in the most curious manner 

 upon one another, each modifyinjr and determining, as has 

 been seen, the existence of all the others. To predicate, 

 then, or affirm certainly, as to their respective usefulness in 

 the Art of Transplanting, is, properly speaking, more fanci- 

 ful than real. But from my own practice. I was disposed 

 to rank them in the following order of preeminence : — 

 First, Thickness and Induration of Bark ; Secondly, 

 Stoutness and Girth of Stem ; Thirdly, Numerousness of 

 Roots and Fibres ; and Fourthly, Extent, Balance, and 

 Closeness of Branches. I found, however, that it might 

 safely be assumed as a rule, that the success of the planter, 

 in this art, would be in the actual proportion, in which his 

 subjects possessed these properties ; and vice versa, that his 

 failure would be in the proportion of their deficiency. It is 

 manifest, on any other supposition, that we must believe 

 Nature to act here in contradiction to herself, which is im- 

 possible ; although her most obvious processes are many 

 times misunderstood, by the blindness of man. 



Such is the short history of my own progress, and of that 

 plain and practical system, on which I have consequently 

 acted. It is unencumbered with complex notions, or tech- 

 nical details. Its soundness has been proved, by the experi- 

 ence of many years. The principle has been occasionally 

 relaxed, or stretched to tlie utmost, as circumstances of 

 comparative shelter or exposure required ; and the uniform 

 success, attending the practice, leaves no room to doubt, that 

 a similar system, if adopted by others, will secure similar 

 results. 



As it is of the utmost importance, to the young planter, 

 to apprehend as much of vegetable physiology as immedi. 

 ately, relates to this subject, so that he may be enabled to 

 appreciate the above properties or prerequisites, I beg leave 

 to call his attention to a few observations, which I shall make 

 upon each of them. For this purpose, let us consider the 



