362 



century, there would be any dissenting voices against such ancient au- 

 thorities. Wise, Austen, Cooke, and all our other early arboriculturists 

 advocate the same system. Even the father of English planting, the 

 respectable Evelyn, who united practice to theory, is so convinced of 

 its soundness, that he is regularly angry with Pliny, for treating it with 

 contempt. " The southern parts of trees (he says) being on a sudden 

 turned to the north, does starve and destroy more trees, how careful so- 

 ever men may have been in ordering their roots, and preparing the 

 ground, than any other accident whatsoever, neglect of staking (i. e. 

 propping), and defending from cattle excepted****. Which monition, 

 though Pliny and some others think good to neglect, or esteem indiffe- 

 rent, I can confirm from frequent losses of my own, and particular 

 trials, having sometimes transplanted great trees at midsummer with 

 success, and miscarried in others, where the circumstance of aspect 

 only was omitted." — Silva, Vol. I. pp. 98, 99. But it may be observed, 

 that unless these great trees were fir-trees, or other evergreens, this 

 worthy man should have reflected, that the extraordinary season he se- 

 lected for the work (a season which, on other occasions, he himself is 

 far from recommending), suggested good ground for miscarriage, with- 

 out having recourse to imaginary causes. 



There is no writer, ancient or modern, who ever had more science, and 

 more practical skill united, than MiUer, in the cultivation of wood, and 

 he distinctly states, that from repeated trials, "he could not observe the 

 least difference in the growth of those trees, which were so placed (that 

 is, as they had previously stood), and others which had been reversed." 

 See Gardener's and Botanist's Diet, in voc. "Planting." A few of the 

 later phytologists support the same opinion, in which long experience 

 obliges me to coincide ; although I am surprised to observe, that modern 

 writers of some name are not wanting, to perpetuate the prejudice. 



Note IX. Page 136. 



Although I have never, m my own practice, made an exception to 

 this rule, yet were I to make any, it would be respecting the small ter- 

 minal shoots of trees, which certainly might be retrenched without 

 injury, and perhaps with advantage. In a communication with which 

 I was honoured, from the illustrious President of the Horticultural So- 

 ciety of London, Mr. Knight, afler approving generally of my theory 

 ns to the preservative principle, he has the following valuable remarks. 



" I have only one suggestion to offer, for your consideration. All 

 trees have, I think, after they arrive at the age of puberty, generally 



