Vlll PREFACE. 



in the ornamental and picturesque department of our na- 

 tive Sylva was sufficient to compensate for this defect, and 

 to entitle them to the situation in which they have been 

 placed. Indeed, had he not been apprehensive of carry- 

 ing the principle too far, he would have wished to have 

 added others to the list, particularly the Bird-Cherry 

 (Cerasus padus), one of our most ornamental flowering trees 

 of inferior growth, and the Scotch or Alpine Laburnum 

 (Cytisus laburnum var. alpinus), a variety attaining much 

 larger dimensions than the common species, and which 

 produces, in the opinion of Mr. Matthew, the author of 

 a valuable treatise on Naval Timber, wood of greater 

 value than any other British tree. 



In speaking of the various important operations con- 

 nected with the management of timber, the Author may 

 remark, that he does so with the experience of nearly 

 forty years, during which period he has not only been a 

 planter to some extent, but has also devoted much time 

 and attention to the culture of his trees ; his observations, 

 therefore, may be considered the result of practical and oft- 

 renewed investigation, conducted, so far as he was able, 

 in accordance with the principles of vegetable physiology. 

 It will not, therefore, much surprise his readers, that he 

 should differ from Pontey and his followers, in regard to 

 the pruning of forest trees, seeing that the denuding sys- 

 tem of that writer is directly opposed to such principles, 



