[ *7* ] 



• Is necefFaiy to cany on its growth and vegetation. When it is 

 however placed very near to the water's edge, the roots on that 

 fide are chiefly protruded, to meet with the nourifhment fo imme- 

 diately at hand, and for che fame reafon ''ecome vaftly larger than 

 thole which are extended in any other direction. 



' If therefore in procefs of time the water is dried up, the tree 

 is left without any other fupply than that which is commanded 

 by one which is furrounded with a dry foil, at the fame time that 

 the principal roots are only to be found on one fide ; fo that the 

 tree is deprived of at leaft half the nourifhment which was necef- 

 fary for its fupport. But it is not only where ponds or ditches have 

 been filled, that the trees in St. James's park have fuffered, tor 

 many of the limes on the fides of the Mall are decaying very fait, 

 and that from year to year, when they were before in a mod: flou- 

 ri filing ftate. I fhould fuppofe, that this alteration arifes from the 

 central walk becoming convex inftcad of concave, by a vaft quan- 

 tity of frefh gravel, which hath alfo been laid on the two fide- 

 walks. The confequence of which is, that almoft all the rain 

 which falls never reaches the roots, having fo much a thicker fur- 

 face to penetrate through than when the limes were originally 

 planted, as alfo by being carried off immediately to the fide 

 drains, by the proper convexity of the Mall, in its prefent ftate. 

 Even under the moir. favourable circumftances much rain mufl 

 fall to moiften an inch of foil, from which the capillary parts of 

 the roots are far removed, being probably more than at twelve 

 times that depth. 



It appears alfo, by what has happened in St, James's Park, that 

 fuch lofs of water is certain death to many forts of trees, which 

 are not aquatics, and that their age is no greater protection than 

 their fpecies. Some of the elms near Rofimond's Pond may be 

 pronounced to have been at leafl two hundred years old ; the 



^ 2 limes, 



