MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR. 



XXIU 



pose, with the old accommodation of a ball of earth to 

 each, attending scrupiiloiislj to the vulgar rule of planting 

 them in the same relation to the points of the compass 

 which they had originally held, but which accuracy, I am 

 now persuaded, is matter of superstition, not of sound 

 doctrine. 



" The transplanted trees were much exposed to the 

 north-west, which is our prevailing wind, and they were 

 not in any way staked or supported, neither was a branch 

 of any of them cut off, as — in despite of a number of 

 respectable examples — I have always thought a mutilated 

 tree rather uglier than none at all ; the soil was a very 

 stijff sand, the trees were of all sorts, such as they came to 

 hand, it might be about eight years old. For three or 

 fom^ years, the greater part of the trees rather languished, 

 and some, though few, died. Far the gTeater part of these 

 trees lived — but, for the first two or three years, they had 

 a very unhealthy appearance, many branches withered, and 

 the stems sent out short twigs and leaves, which seems 

 always a symptom of weakness. They gradually recovered 

 however, and in five or six years began to look well ; but 

 it was eight or ten years before they began to grow vigor- 

 ously : they are now healthy, strong trees, and seem to be 

 thriving very well. About the same time, I transplanted 

 into a better soil, and with more care, a few trees about 

 the house ; these never went bach, as it is called, but 

 throve from the beginning, and are now large trees of 

 their age. 



About five years ago, you very obligingly called my 

 attention to the subject, and greatly interested me by 

 describing your process. I could not, however, make any 

 regular attempt to imitate it, for I had no subjects fit for 

 transplantation. I had indeed, many thousands of trees, 

 which I wished elsewhere, but they were exactly those which. 



