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a subject, on which not a tree nor a hush had previous- 

 ly stooci, were as astonishing as tliey were dehghtful. 

 When I saw the place, in the spring of 1825, several groups 

 of fine foreground trees with extensive tops weie already 

 formed, and had attracted the notice of the scientific and the 

 curious. All united in admiration of the skill and ingenuity 

 of the planter ; but no one, who saw the trees, except 

 Mr. Smith himself, was prepared to believe, that they could 

 without propping withstand the western gales. The old 

 men about the place reminded him, that, at the equinox, 

 those blasts were so terrific, as sometimes to endanger even 

 the stoutest of his trees, which had been reared on the ground 

 for nearly a century, and which must far exceed in stability 

 any plants, that art or ingenuity could at once bring upon 

 an open surface. The gardener who was a planter of the 

 old school, loudly declared, that, " all the men of Renfrew- 

 shire could not keep them up in ihe face of a real and ge- 

 nuine south-wester, unless their heads were taken oflT, accord- 

 ing to the good old method." Yet, notwithstanding these 

 confident opinions, and disastrous anticipations, not one of 

 the trees has ever been moved or blown down ; and, from 

 their healthy appearance, they promise to continue fine ex- 

 amples of the art, and especially of the use of the retaining- 

 bank in transplanting, in the west of Scotland. 



The trees removed by this intelligent planter, both on the 

 fine hill or slope above described, and in other parts of his 

 place, are oaks, beeches, limes, sycamores, elms, and horse- 

 chestnuts. From two letters, which I have from him, on the 

 subject of the expense, I learn, that it was in the beginning 

 a good deal enhanced, by his " dashing at once (as he said) 

 at the largest and heaviest subjects," ere suflficient dexterity 

 had been acquired by his workman, or sufficient experience 

 by himself. In this way, at thirty feet high, they cost him 

 from 1 .5s. to 18s. each, when brought from any considerable 



