ERKORS IN CULTIVATION OF WOOD. 29 



most commonly cultivated in England, such as the 

 elm, beech, sycamore, and, in general, all the hard 

 wooded kinds, to the rearing of which much great- 

 er attention is there paid than has ever been done 

 in Scotland. But with regard to the culture of firs, 

 these writers have fallen into gross mistakes, which, 

 perhaps, is what might he expected from the com- 

 paratively few opportunities which most parts of 

 England afford for becoming acquainted vdth the 

 nature of this class of trees. We accordingly find 

 some of those who have spoken most sensibly with 

 regard to the management of every other kind of tree, 

 gravely recommending that firs be pruned, and en- 

 forcing the direction in the strongest terms that 

 can be applied to such a purpose. A maxim more 

 pregnant with ruin to our fir plantations than this, 

 supposing it generally acted upon, could hardly be 

 expressed in words. Yet it has already been put in 

 practice in too many instances, even in this country, 

 where pruning is so often neglected in cases where 

 it is really necessary. That the mischief has not 

 spread further than it has yet done, we have, per- 

 haps, to thank that unwillingness to lay out any 

 expense on plantations, which is so prevalent in 

 Scotland ; and we have thus another exemplification 

 of the adage — " That there is no evil which is not 



