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to fjw the feeds in the (hade, alleging that ther will thus 

 thrive better than when expofed to the full fun. In all 

 places where are large treis, their feeds fall, and the plants 

 fpring up without anj' previous car^-. If thcfe wild plants 

 are taken \i;i without any injury to the roots, they niav be 

 tranfplanted irto any frronud, with little or no preparation ; 

 where the lar.d will admit of the plough, it will be bed pre- 

 pared by a crop of torn. In the fpots where they art to ftand, 

 it will be fufhcient to loofen the foil wiili a ipnde or mat- 

 tock ; and they may then be Ut into holes capable of receiv- 

 ing their roots, which (liouid be covered with earth, attached 

 clofely to them. After tliey have taken root, they requi); 

 no other care befide^ bcing'kept clear of weeds, whicli may 

 be cut down two or three times in a fummcv for the firil two 

 years ; and afterwards the plants will be ftrong enough to 

 keep t>he weeds dowr, fo that thfy can receive no injury 

 fr(!m them. Thefe plants may be fet any time from the 

 middle of Ofiober till the rniddle of March, when the grniiud 

 is fiee from froft ; but in dry land autumn is the beft feafon, 

 and for a moift foil the fpring is preferable. The diitance at 

 which they (hould be plaeed is fiK feet fquare, that they may 

 foon cover the ground, and that bv Handing clofe, they may 

 draw each other up ; for in fituations that arc much expofed, 

 if they are not pretty dole, they will not thrive well. If 

 the plants take kindly to the ground, they will be lit for 

 cutting in about ten years ; and afterwards they may be cut 

 every feventh or eighth year, if they are merely deiigned for 

 the broom-makers ; but if they are intended for hoops, they 

 (liould not be cut oftoner than eveiy twelfth year. 



As the birch is a native of Britain, it fuits itfclf to all 

 forts of foils. It will thrive extremely well on barren land, 

 whtther it be wet or dry, fandy or ftony, marfiiy or Ijoggy. 

 it fows itfelf, and will come up in places where hardly any 

 other tree will grow. It may be cultivated at a moderate 

 expence ; and being eafily difpofed of to the broom-makers, 

 hoop-benders, turners, and for purpufcs of hufbandry, it 

 will yield a conliderable profit. 



The fecond and third fpecies, or the American forts of 

 birch, may be propagated by feeds in the fame manner as 

 the firfl, and are equally hardy. Seeds fown in beds of 

 fine mould, and covered about a quarter of an inch deep, 

 will generally grow. They (hould be conftantiy weeded and 

 watered in dry weather ; and at the age of one or two years, 

 according to their ftrength, they Ihould be planted in rows 

 in the nurferv, in the nfual manner. In fuuimer, weeding 

 (houid be ofafcrved, and in winter, digging between the 

 rows ; and when they are about three or four teet high, they 

 will be of a good fize for being tranfplanted into the wilder- 

 nefs quarters. As thefe American forts grow with greater 

 vigour than the common fort, and thrive on the moll barren 

 ground, they mav be cultivated in England to great advan- 

 tage. The varieties of the different Ipecies may be propa- 

 gated by layers. For this pnrpofe a fnfficient number of 

 plants fhould be procured, and fet on a fpot of double dug 

 ground, at the diftance of three yards from each other. In 

 the following year, if they have made no young fhoots, they 

 fhould be headed to within half a foot of the ground, to form 

 the ilools, which vAU then fhoot vigoroudy the following 

 lummer ; and in aitumn. the young (hoots (hould be fplafhed 

 near the ftools, and the tender twigs layered near their ends. 

 They will then ftrike root, and become good plarts in the 

 lAjllou'ing autumn ; and frefh twigs will have Iprung up from 

 the (tools to be ready for the fame operation. The layers 

 (hould then be taken up, and the operation performed alrefn. 

 If the plants defigned for (tools, have made good (lioots the 

 tirft year, they need not be headed down, but Iplalhcd near 

 the ground, and all the young twigs layered. An immediate 



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crop may thus be niifed ; whilft young (hoots will fpring out 

 in great plenty below the fpladied part, for the pnrpofe of 

 layering in the fucceeding year. This woik may be repeated 

 every autumn or winter ; when feme of the ftrongeil layers 

 may be planted out, if thty are immediately wanted ; wliillt 

 the others may be removed into the nurfery, in order tc be- 

 come (Ironger plants, before they arc removed to their def- 

 tine.d habitations. Cnttin^s alfo, if fet in a moift (liady bor- 

 der in the beginning of Oftober, will frequently grow; 

 but as this is not a fiire method, and as thefe trees are fo 

 eafily propagated bv lavers, it hardly deferves to be jnac 

 tifed. 



In Sweden, the budding and leafing of the birch -tree is 

 con(i;lcred as a direftory for fowing barley. Set Fol.'A- 



TIOM. 



The fosrth and fifth fpecies, being of co ufe with us, zre 

 not cultivated, except in botanic gardens. 



The fixth fpecies, or alder-tree, delights in a very mcifl 

 foil, where few other trees will thrive, and greatly improves 

 fuch lands. It may be propagated by layers, cuttings, or 

 truncheons about three feet long. The bell tim.e for planting 

 truncheons, which is the lefsehgible, though perhaps the Icall 

 expenlive ra.thod, is in Februar)- or the beginning of March. 

 Thefe (liould be (harpened at one end, and the ground locf- 

 ened v.ith an iron crow, that when they arc tlirull in, the 

 bark may not be torn off. They mu(t be planted at lead 

 two fett deep, that they may not be difturbed by ftrong 

 winds, and fet at the diliance of three feet. The plantations 

 fnould at iirft be cleared of all weeds ; and after ever)' fall, 

 in the following winter, the llocls ought to be looked over, 

 and all the weak lide-branches taken off. Ti;is will ftrengthcn 

 thofe which are already the llrongcil, and will enable them to 

 (lioot up more vigoroufly forpole;-. Many of the truncheons 

 will not grow ; and Hunter, in his edition of Evelyn's Srlva, 

 fays, that he has never feen a coppice, raifed in this wav, fo 

 luxuriant and beautiful, as when raifed from regular plants. 

 If the alder be raifed by layers, this opei-ation mull be per- 

 formed in Oftober, and in the following Oclober they will 

 have taken fufficient root for tranfplantation. They 

 (hould then be fet at leafl one foot and a half deep in tlie 

 ground, and their tops (hould be cut off to about nine inches 

 above the furface, which will occafion their (hooting oirt 

 many branches. Tlie method of railing thefe trees bv'feedd, 

 is praclifed abroad, and, fays Hunter, (uhi fupra) is greallv 

 to be commended. If thcfe trees are defigntd for coppices, 

 they (hould be placed at the diftance of (ix feet fqnare, oi 

 they may be planted at (iril a yard fquare, and at the erd o'.' 

 feven years, when they are felled for poles, every other (loo! 

 may he taken away ; and if the fr.iall lateral (lioots be taken 

 off in the fpring, it will very much flrengthcn the upriglit 

 poles, provided a few finall (hoots be left at certain didance* 

 upon the body to detain tlic fap for the increafe of its bulk. 

 In planting aldt-rs for coppices, Hunter (ubi fupra) fays, it 

 is much better to railc them from young trees than'from 

 truncheons. To obtain thefe in fufficient quantity, plant 

 fuckers, taken out of the meadows where the alder-tree>: 

 grow, on a prepared piece of ground, and afterwards head 

 them down for dools ; lay the (lioots in the fucceeding au- 

 tumn, and in twelve months they will have taken root, when 

 they (hould he removed and planted in row?, and in one or two 

 years they may be trani'plantcd where they are to rtoia'-n. It 

 the coppice is fituated upon bos:gy or watery ground, thev 

 may be removed from the nurfeiy, iiud planted three feet 

 afuiuler, in holer, previoudy prepared for receiving thcmJ 

 Here they may daud for fix or feven years, v\ht.n every other 

 tree fhonld be taken away, and the rett cut down for ftooh. 

 Every ninth or tenth v^ar will afford a fall of jhcfe trees fof 



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