90 Strictures on Steuarfs Planter's Guide. 



needed Sir Henry's instructions in this matter, and had not known what had 

 been universally taught in this country, and amongst his own class of society, 

 at least for the period of one hundred and forty-six years ! ! " 



" Many more instances of the successful transplantation of large trees and 

 shrubs, by the class of persons we are now defending, might be produced ; 

 but we shall be satisfied with those at one other place. 



" In the year 1785, some very large old fruit trees were transplanted from 

 the garden at Raith to the new garden at Abbotshall, with such success, 

 that they bore large crops the following year ; and they are still healthful 

 and good bearers. At the same place, twenty years ago, many large Por- 

 tugal laurels and hollies were transplanted by Mr. Norval, with perfect suc- 

 cess, as the plants now bear witness. Mr. Norval has also removed many 

 evergreen oaks, and other plants of very considerable size, with like suc- 

 cess ; indeed, seldom does a season pass without such labours being required 

 of him. 



" If, therefore, Sir Henry Steuart can boast of his success, so also can 

 many of that class which he has treated with such undeserved contempt." 



The following observations on the trees in the park at Allanton are par- 

 ticularly deserving of perusal, and are, in our [opinion, incomparably more 

 valuable than any thing that has issued from the Highland Society on the 

 subject: — " That Sir Henry has merit in the transplanting of his large 

 trees at Allanton, we are far from disputing ; indeed, we admire the living 

 evidences of his success. There are, perhaps, 200 of the subjects which 

 have been transplanted now very fine trees. As specimens of their excel- 

 lence, we may notice the largest and finest, a beech, said to have been 

 transplanted 25 years ago. Its girth, at breast height, is 5 ft. 7 in., and, by 

 estimation, it is 50 ft. high. Another beech, said to have been lifted 18 

 years since, is 4 ft. 10 in. in girth at the same height, and is esthnated to be 

 45 ft. high. A larch (of which sort there are few others in the park, and 

 these small) is in girth 4 ft. 1 in. at breast height, and, by estimation, is 

 55 ft. high. This tree is said to have been transplanted 20 years ago. 

 There are many limes, oaks, and sycamores, said to have been lifted 12 or 

 13 years ago, which are, by estimation, from 30 to 40 ft. in height, and in 

 girth from 2 ft. 6 in. to 4 ft. 7 in. There is a good horsechestnut, lifted seven 

 or eight years ago, in girth 3 ft. 1 in. and esthnated 20 ft. high. These trees 

 are generally from 3J to 5 ft. high in the boles, and are for the most part 

 clump-headed, being in breadth to height as 20 to 30. 



" Such may be considered a fair specimen of Sir Henry's success, to the 

 the extent of 200 at least. But, while we give him all credit for these, we 

 cannot shut our eyes on some other facts. There are in Allanton Park a 

 good many trees, transplanted about two or three years ago, the girths of 

 which are from 14 to 15 in., and the heights from 12 to 24 ft., generally as 

 poor specimens of transplanted trees as ever were seen, having still but few 

 and small leaves, with many of the points of the top branches dead. There 

 is, however, every chance that, as the others have done, they will obtain a 

 different character in the course of years. The experience of such back- 

 wardness is very judiciously expressed by Sir Henry. ' It sometimes 

 happens, when the progress of removal has been conducted in the best man- 

 ner, and on the best soil, when the sun has shone, and the rains have de- 

 scended most profusely on the plants, that six, and seven, and a greater 

 number of years will elapse without any decided proof of advancement.' 

 ' For such exceptions to general success it is not easy to account ; but it is 

 certain that such exceptions occasionally do occur.' 



" It would seem the above confession (which, by the by, would intimate a 

 greater proportion of deaths than ' one out of forty') had been made just 

 after reading Mr. Pontey's opinion of the art, namely, that ' large trans- 

 planted trees are " like the stricken deer," and incapable of harmonising 



