FUTILITY OF FLAG-STONES. 79 



stocks on the very surface, making no pit in plan- 

 ing them, but merely throwing earth upon the roots. 

 The pavement that we often hear of for counteract- 

 ing the descent of roots is nonsense, or nearly so ; 

 for if it be of sufficient breadth, it will cost more 

 than might serve to deepen the soil; and if it be 

 of small dimensions, the roots will hasten to the 

 extremity, and then take their own way, going 

 straight down with a greediness proportioned to the 

 period of their confinement. The causeway theo- 

 rists suppose that the progress of a tree is like that 

 of inert bodies, which continue their motion in the 

 direction that is given them; whereas the living 

 plant has more alliance to the living animal, taking 

 the nearest road it can find to procure food and 

 drink. One would think that the error as to the 

 supposed obedience of the roots in their less visited 

 territories might have been corrected by a pretty 

 fair analogy taken from the nature of the branches, 

 which are well enough seen. After being tied 

 down for any length of time, or carried horizontally 

 to any distance, every espalier branch, as soon as 

 it gains its liberty, sets its head erect; and so every 

 root held up by the pavement will begin to go down 

 the instant it passes the barrier. Therefore trust 

 more in shallow plan ting than in a few slate stones; 

 and make provision for replenishing your wall with 

 new paradise stocks when the old begin to fail, 

 which, in the above circumstances, may be expected 

 in the course of ten or twelve years. 



In a small bit of ground you may have a suffi- 



