28 A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trees. 



CHAP. XVIII. 



Of the Alder, 



Aldtr. I. /- |"^He Alder is of all other the moft faithful lover of wa- 



X. *^^y fiod boggy places, and thofe moft delpis'd weeping 

 parts 5 or vpater-gaUs of Forejit , — — crafjis^ paludihus Aim. 

 They are propagated of Trunchions^ and will come of Seeds (for 

 fo they raife them in Flanders^ and make wonderful profit of the 

 rlantations) like the Toplar , or of Roots^ which I prefer, being 

 (et as big as the fmall of one's leg^ and in length about two foot 5 

 whereof one would be plunged in the wud. This profound fix- 

 ing of Aquatic-trees being to preferve them fieedjf, and from the 

 concuffions of the rpinds, and violence of tvaters, in their liquid 

 and flippery foundations. They may be placed at four, or five 

 foot diftance > and when they have ftruck root, you may cut them, 

 which will caufethem to fpring in clumps, and to fhoot out into 

 many ufeful /»<?/e/. But if you plant fmallerye^j, cut them not 

 till they are arriv'd to ibme competent bignefsj and that in a proper 

 Jeafon 5 which is, for all the Aquatics, not till Winter be well ad- 

 vanc'd, in regard of their pithy fubftance. Therefore fuch as 

 you (hall have occafion to make ufe of before that period ought 

 to be well grown, and felTd with the earlieji, and in the firft quar- 

 ter of the increafing Moo» 5 that fo the fucce&vepoot receive no 

 prejudice. 



2. There area Hoxtoi Husbands who take excefEve pains in 

 Jiubbing up their Alders where-ever they meet them in the boggy 



places of their grounds, with the fame indignation as one would 

 extirpate the moft pernicious of IVeeds 5 and when they have 

 finifti'd, know not how to convert their beft Lands to more profit 

 then this(feemingdefpicable)/»/<««^ might lead them to, were it 

 rightly underftood : befides, thepadovp of this Iree does feed and 

 nour iih the very graj? which grows under it. 



3. You may cut ^^«<i^/f-*reej every third, or fourth year, and 

 fome more frequently, as I ftiall (hew you hereafter. They (hould 

 alfo be abated within half a foot of the principal head, to prevent 

 the perifliing of the main Jiock^-^ and befidts, to accelerate their 

 fprouting. Infettingthe Trunchions it were not amifb to prepare 

 them a little after they are fitted to the fize, by laying them a 

 while in water j this is alfo prafticable in Willows, &c. 



4. Of old they made Boats of the greater parts of this Tree 



tunc alnos primumfluviifensere cavatas. 



Georg. I. 

 Nee »on (^ torrentem undam levis inn at at alnus 

 Mijfa Pado 2 . 



And as then, fo now ^are over-grown Alders frequently fought after, 



for 



