XX 



MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 



humbly their opinion, that Sir Henry, by philosophical 

 attention to the nature of the change to which he was 

 about to subject the trees which he has transplanted, has 

 attained, at no extravagant expense, the power so long 

 desired of anticipating the slow progress of yegetation, 

 and accomplishing, within two or three seasons, those 

 desirable changes on the face of nature, which he who 

 plants in early youth can, in ordinary cases, only hope to 

 witness in advanced life." 



This high approval was further confirmed at a later 

 period by the presentation of a gold medal to Sir Henry, 

 by the members of the Highland Society, on the pubhca- 

 tion of the "Planter's Guide,'' in 1828.''' From many other 

 quarters. Sir Henry received similar expressions of appro- 

 bation, and applications from many of the nobility and 

 gentry of the United Kingdom, to assist them with his 

 advice in their contemplated improvements on his system. 

 Among other correspondents, he had frequent communica- 

 tion with Sir Walter Scott, who had reviewed his work of 

 transplanting, in a most favourable manner, in one of the 

 leading periodicals. So far back as the year 1823, we 

 find Sir Henry corresponding with Sir Walter, and both 

 these distinguished arboriculturists mutually comparing 

 notes and exchanging information on a subject so interest- 

 ing to both parties. We have before us a long letter 

 from Sir Walter Scott, to his friend Sir Henry, dated 23d 

 February 1823, fully describing Sir Walter's operations 

 at Abbotsford, with the results of his experiments, from 

 which our limits prevent our quoting at large, as we could 

 otherwise have wished. The letter concludes as follows : 



* The Gold Medal presented to Sir Henry, by the Highland Society, bears 

 the following inscription Presented to Henry Steuart, of Allanton, Bart. 

 LL.D., F.R.S.E. &c. with the resolution of a general Meeting of the Highland 

 Society of Scotland, votmg to him the thanks of the Society, for his essay on 

 transplanting full-grown trees, 8th January, 1828." 



