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England, yet there are but very few 

 large Trees to be feen of it at pre- 

 fers ; which may, perhaps, be ow- 

 ing to the great Efteem the Perfons 

 of the lait Age had for the Lime, 

 which being much eafier to propa- 

 gate, and of quicker Growth during 

 the three or four firft Years, than the 

 Plane-tree, thereby it became the 

 moll common Tree for Planting of 

 Avenues, and (hady Walks near Ha- 

 bitations, in England. But fince the 

 Defects of that Tree have been more 

 generally difcover'd, the Elm has had 

 the Preference, and is the moil com- 

 monly planted for fuch Purpofes. 



However, notwithstanding what 

 has been faid of the Plane-tree, of 

 its Backwardnefs in coming out in 

 the Spring, and the fudden Decay of 

 its Leaves in Autumn ; yet, for the 

 goodly Appearance, and great Mag- 

 nitude to which it will grow, it dc- 

 ferves a Place in large Plantations, 

 or Ihady Receffes near Habitations, 

 efpecially if the Plantation be defign- 

 ed on a moiltSoil, or near Rivulets 

 of Water ; in which Places this Tree 

 will arrive to a prodigious Size. 



We read of one of thefe Trees, 

 which was growing at a Villa of the 

 Emperor Caligula, whofe Trunk was 

 fo large, as, when hollow'd, to make 

 a Room therein, capacious enough to 

 entertain ten or twelve Perfons at a 

 Repaft, and for their Servitors to 

 wait upon them. And there is men- 

 tion made of one of thefe Trees, 

 which was growing in the Eajlern 

 Country, which was of fo great a 

 Magnitude, that Xerxes made his 

 Army (which confilled of leventeen 

 hundred thoufand Men) halt, for 

 fome Days, to admire the Beauty 

 and Procerity of this Tree ; and be- 

 came fo fond of it, as to take his 

 own, his Concubines, and all the 

 great Perfons Jewels to cover it; and 

 was fo much enamour'd with it, that 



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for fome Days*, neither the Concern 

 of his grand Expedition, nor Intereft, 

 nor Honour, nor the necefTary Mo- 

 tion of his prodigious Army, could 

 difluade him from it : he filled it, 

 His Mijirefs, Hit Minion, His Goddefs : 

 and when he was obliged to part 

 with it, he caused a Figure of it to 

 be rtamp'd on a Gold Medal, which 

 he continually wore about him. 



And fuch was the Efteem which 

 the People of Afia had for this Tree, 

 that where ever they erected any 

 fumptuous Buildings, the Porticoes, 

 which open'd to the Air 4 terminated 

 in Groves of thefe Trees. 



The Eaftern Plane-tree is propa- 

 gated either from Seeds, or by Lay- 

 ers, the latter of which is generally 

 praclifed in England-, though the 

 Plants thus raisd feldom make fo 

 large ftrait Trees, as thofe which are 

 produc'd from Seeds : but it has been 

 generally thought, that the Seeds of 

 this Tree were not productive, be- 

 caufe they have not been fown at a 

 proper Seafon, nor managed in a 

 right Manner; fori have had thou- 

 fands of the young Plants fpring up 

 from the Seeds of a large Tree, 

 which fcatter'd upon the Ground 

 in a mciit Place; and I fince find, 

 that if thefe Seeds are fown, foon 

 after they are ripe, in a moift 

 lhady Situation, they will rife ex- 

 tremely well ; and the Plants, thus 

 obtain'd, will make a confiderable 

 Progrefs after the fecond Y ear, being 

 much hardier, and lefs liable to lofe 

 their Tops in Winter, than thofe 

 which are propagated by Layers. 

 And fince the Seeds of this Tree ri- 

 pen well in England, they may be 

 propagated in as great Plenty as any 

 other Forelt-tree. 



The Virginian Plane-tree will 

 grow extemely well from Cuttings, 

 if they are planted the Beginning of 

 Qttoher, upon a moift Soil ; and,*f 



Z z z 3 they 



