THE MANSE GARDEN. 71 



upon the roots. The pavement that we often hear 

 of for counteracting 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 theorists 

 suppose that the progress of a tree is like that of 

 inert bodies, which continue their motion in the di- 

 rection 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, the instant it passes the barrier, 

 to go down. Therefore trust more in shallow plant- 

 ing than in a few slate stones*; arid make provision 

 for replenishing your wall with new paradise stocks 

 when the old begin to fail, which, in the above cir- 

 cumstances, may be expected in the course of ten or 

 twelve years. 



In a small bit of ground you may have a sufficient 

 supply ready grafted, arid a few years trained on small 

 stakes to that figure which they are afterwards to 

 maintain on the wall. The stocks cost nothing; and 

 if you apply your own hand to engrafting, you may 



