24 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



are proper only for moist soils, placed in the most 

 parched situations, and those which nature has 

 adapted for dry ground alone, planted in swamps 

 and morasses. Those species that would flourish 

 on a light soil, are often absurdly stationed in the 

 most tenacious clays, where they can make little 

 progress ; while those that would have attained a 

 large size in stiff land, are planted in gravel or sandy 

 loam, as if for the express purpose of making them 

 dwarfish, unsightly, and entirely worthless. Plant- 

 ers in fact seem, in many cases, to believe, that 

 every soil is alike favourable to every kind of tree ; 

 and, therefore, that they may, without scruple, hu- 

 mour their own taste, caprice, or convenience, in se- 

 lecting the species, be the quality of the land what 

 it will. It is from their proceeding on this absurd 

 principle, that we so frequently see extensive tracts 

 of land, containing sometimes hundreds of acres, 

 planted with the same varieties throughout, though 

 the soil, instead of being all of one kind, be of many 

 different qualities. Nor is it uncommon in such 

 cases, for as many varieties of plants to be used, as 

 there are variations in the nature of the soil. The 

 error consists, in putting an equal proportion of 

 each sort into every part of the ground alike, instead 



