297 



time prevented him from entertaining any serious thoughts of 

 attempting the experiment. 



In the month of December lust, this gentleman, who is as 

 intelligent in planting as he is in every other branch of rural 

 economy, applied to me to learn, if I could put him in the 

 way of procuring a few large trees, on any reasonable terms? 

 He had heard, he said, on the best authority, that the art of 

 removing trees, however it might be improved in my hands, 

 was practised at enormous cost. To L.^ox L.o each for hand- 

 some trees, he observed, no reasonable man could object, if of 

 such a size and figure, as to give the Immediate Effect of 

 Wood near his residence : but from ten to fifteen guineas, he 

 certainly considered as rather too expensive a luxury for gen- 

 eral use. To this I replied, that he had been misled by such 

 information, be the authors who they might. But, in order 

 to undeceive him, and that the cost should not exceed his 

 own estimate of L.2 and L3 per tree, I undertook, that a ma- 

 chine of the intermediate size should be provided for him, 

 and that two of my best hands should attend at Cleghorn 

 for the purpose of instructing his workmen, and of putting 

 the thing to the test of his own experience. 



Having explained to Mr. Lockhart the nature of the prin 

 ciples, which had been apphed to the art, he seemed quite 

 satisfied, that they are consonant to the laws of nature, and 

 to what we know of the anatomy of woody plants. Accord- 

 ingly, in the middle of January last (1827), we commenced 

 our operations on the spot. Having selected some trees with 

 fine tops, which were far better subjects than woods not 

 thinned for the purpose usually furnish, we very speedily 

 transferred them. And, in order to show how readily my 

 friend apprehended the different processes, he soon, like Mr. 

 Smith, became his own director of the work, and managed 

 the whole with singular address, and intelligence of the 

 subject. 



The trees removed were eleven in number, and consisted 



38 



