54 



possible to cut away a single tree without injury to 

 its neighbouring tree, either by stinting it in its 

 growth for a number of years, exposing it to be 

 blown down by the storm, or altogether killing it ; 

 therefore a single tree cannot be taken out here with 

 safety, nor w^ith any degree of propriety* It will 

 be told me what is very true, that many of these 

 trees stand so close together, that they are evi- 

 dently killing each other, and if allowed to stand 

 many more years together, both trees will not only 

 be injured, but actually killed ; then there will be 

 nothing but a blank, no tree at all j there are a num- 

 ber of blanks already, and perhaps from this very one 

 cause ; it is therefore certainly much better to take 

 away one tree and save the other, than allow both to be 

 lost ; you say take away one tree, it will kill the other 

 — the very one it was taken away to preserve, you say 

 may be blown down by the wind, and make a blank ; 

 this may happen, the world may soon come to an 

 end, and there will be an end of the trees also ; this, 

 I grant, is all fair and rational j we are here treading 

 on sacred ground, and the person that would cut 

 away a single tree here, which has required centu- 

 ries to rear, at the risk of a supposed improvement, 

 would be committing a crime. There is, however, 

 a plan and method left of preserving and keeping a 

 crop on the ground, of these grandest of nature's 

 productions, even in their exposed situation and ne- 

 glected state ; and I beg permission to say, that the 

 managers of all estates w^ould do well to deliberate 

 seriously before cutting old full-grown trees in this 

 and all similar places. The plan to be followed up 

 in preserving these trees, in tliis and similar places 



