New Principles of Gardening. 
is very furprizing. The great Advantages arifing from 
large Plantations of Oak, is fo well known to this Nation, that 
I need not trouble my Reader with telling him of its great Ufe 
in Civil and Naval Architecture, or its Bark when peel’d in 
April, (for Tanners Ufe,) which is the proper. Time to fell this 
Tree; or that its Acorns is excellent Food (as Mr. Bradley calls 
it) for Hogs, well known to every old Woman. 
{ fay the Excellency of this noble Plant is fo univerfally 
known, that to offer any Thing in order to encourage its greater 
Increafe, would be needlefs, feeing that all our Exghjb Gentle- 
men of Fortune are not only good Judges of its great Ufe, Sc. 
but at this Time are principally devoted to the Pleafures and Pro- 
fit of Planting in general, wherein the Oak has a Place not in- 
ferior to any. 
This noble ‘Tree is raifed from an Acorn, which fhould be 
fowed immediately after its falling from the Tree, and is al- 
ways beft when the Acorn is planted in the Place appointed for 
its future Growth ; but when it cannot be fo order’d, they muft 
be fown in a Seed-Bed. In the removing of young Oaks from 
the Seed-Bed to the Nurfery, or to the Spot where they are to 
remain, becareful to prune off their Tap-Root, and head them 
down to two Budsonly, which alfo obferve to do again the next 
Spring after, and then let one leading Shoot arife to form the Tree. 
The Reafon of heading down this Plant twice, is to enable 
its Root to throw forth a {trong Shoot the third Year, which ne- 
ver fails of making a handfome Tree. And during the Time as 
the Oak is in the Nurfery, Care muft be taken every Spring and 
Summer to difplace all the Side or Horizontal Buds, as I have 
once before directed, that the leading Shoot may receive all the 
full Nourifhment as the Earth produces, and be free from Kaots, 
Wounds, c. which muft happen, if thofe Buds are admitted 
to grow, at the Time of pruning. 
Every third Year they muft be tranfplanted as before directed 
in the Management of Trees planted in the Nurfery; at which 
Time prune their Roots, but not their leading Shoots, always re- 
membring that if you cut off, or only top an Oak, it ever af- 
ake is but a Pollard, and will never become a Timber- 
Tree. 
To have good Oaks, or at leaft as good as can be, on wet 
Clays or dry Banks, &c. ’tis beft to plant the Acorns ca 
R rather 
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