i8 A Difcourfe of Forc/l-Trees. 



makcfeveriil cAops, putting afmallj?«?«e into every cleft, to hinder 

 their clofure, and give accefs to the ivet:, then cover them with 

 three or four i»f A thick oi Earth : and thus they will fend forth 

 Sitckgrs in abundance, which after two, or three lean, you may 

 Separate, and plant in the Vlmarwm, or place defign'd for them ^ 

 and which if it be mplu»/ps (as they call them) within ten or 

 twelve y<i'<?^ of each other, or in Hedge-rows, it will be the better ; 

 For the El»t is a Tree of Confort, Sociable, and fo affecting to 

 grow in Company, that the very beft which I have ever fecn do 

 o\tno^ touch one another : This alfo proteds them from the Winds^ 

 andcaufcs them to (hoot of an extraordinary height ; fo as in lit- 

 tle more th^n forty years they even arrive to a load of limber 5 

 provided they be fcdulouily and carefully cultivated, and the 

 toil propitious. For an Elfit does not thrive fo well in the Forefi^ 

 as where it may enjoy (cope for the Roots to dilate and fpread in 

 the fides, as in He^^e-r<?B'/ and Avenues, where they have the -rf/r 

 likewife free. 



5. Of all the Trees which grow in our Woods, there is none 

 which does better fufFcr the Tran^lantation then the Elm ^ for you 

 may remove a Tree of twenty years growth with undoubted luc- 

 cefe : It is SLuExperiment I have made in a Tree almoft as big more 

 as my wafte 5 but then you muft totally dkhranch him , leaving 

 only the Summit intire 5 and being careful to take him up with as 

 much Earth as you can , refrefti him with abundance of water. 

 This is an excellent and expeditious way for great Verfons to 

 plant the Accejfes of their Houfes with ^ for being difpos'd at Jmc- 

 teen, ot eighteen foot Interval, they will in a few years bearg«X)d* 

 ly heads, and thrive to admiration. Some that are very cauti- 

 ous entplafier the wounded head of fuch over-grown Elms with a 

 mixture of c/rf;', and horfe-dung, bound about them with a wi^ of 

 Hayot fine MoJ^, and I do not reprove it. But for more ordinary 

 plantations, younger Trees, which have their hark, finooth and 

 tender, about the fcantlingof your leg, and their heads trimm'd 

 at five ox fix foot height, are to be preferr'd before all other. Cato 

 would have none of thefe forts oi Trees to be removed till they are 



^ve oxfix fingers in diameter ^ others think they cannot take them 

 too young-^ but experience (the beft Mi [irifi) tells us, that you 

 can hardly plant an Elm too big. There are who pare away the 

 £/w^ within two fingers of thejiem, and quite cut off the tkad^ 

 but I cannot commend this extream fcverity , no more then I do 

 the ftrewing of Oats in the pit 5 which fermenting with the moi- 

 fture, and (xequent tf>aterings, is believed muchtp accelerate the 

 putting forth of the Roots , not confidering, that for want of air 

 they corrupt, and grow mufiy, which more frequently fufibcates 

 the R/)ots, and endangers the whole Tree. 



6. The EUtt delights in z found, fvreet and fertile Land, fome- 

 thing more inclin'd to moifture, and where good Pajture is pro- 

 duced; though it will alfo profper in the gravelly, provided there 

 be a competent depth of «?^«W,and be refrefti'd with fprings:in de- 

 ft^ of which, being planted on the very furface of the ground (the 



Jhcarth 



