THE CULTURE OF PLANTS 



I bid you reject such as were never set by art, as 

 peevish parents for children, that must be thus ac- 

 commodat with uncouth lodgings, as well as dyets 

 in their travels : It's a mischief in many people, 

 that accompts all things ridiculous that they have 

 not been bred up with, or accustom'd to ; so with 

 trees in some respect. 



As for oak, the acorns which we set from * put 

 forth a lustier root than ours ; nor do I approve of 

 them in natural woods; they ripe beginning of Oc- 

 tober ; gather them in a dry day, and lay in some open 

 room to dry a moneth, turning them with a broom ; 

 then lay them in a couch of dry sand till the latter 

 end of February; dibble them in the ground two 

 inches deep, twelve rowes on the bed, if six foot 

 broad; they will come up the same season; and al- 

 though they will grow on any ground, yet they grow 

 better on the best, that is, a good loamy earth. Order 

 them as is directed in the nurserie. 



The elm that grows with a clean and taper body 

 is best worthy your care. We have extraordinary 

 clean and smoothed barked elms from Holland; but 

 I think they take more paines in preparing and mak- 



* A blank space has been left in both the first and second 

 editions. A. H. H. 



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