76 A TREATISE OF 



thofe which ftrike downward j for the 

 latter commonly caufe trees to Ihoot forth 

 branches too luxuriant and full of fap, 

 which will not produce bloffoms. 



I grant, that all trees imbibe more or 

 lefs part of the juices that fupport them, 

 from the dews in the night, thro' the pores 

 of the rind and leaves -, but the fun at- 

 tra6ls more in the day than they imbibe 

 in the night, otherwife they would grow 

 without any affiftance at all from the 

 roots. 



By what has been faid, I think it ap- 

 pears neceffary, to have the horizontal 

 roots left as long as poffible, that the 

 branches may not want a fufficient quan- 

 tity of moifture for their nourifliment. 



I cannot in this place help taking no- 

 tice of a method recommended and prae- 

 tifed by too many, that is, when the roots 

 are become dry, to place them upright 

 in water, for the fpace of twelve hours 

 before planting ; but this method is very 

 injurious to them: for at the feafon of the 

 year in which trees are removed, the 

 weather is cold, and the roots having too 

 great a quantity of water in them, and 



wanting 



