CONTENTS. 



XV 



SECTION VI. 



Page 



Note I. Chemical opinions respecting soils. Fourcroy, Hassen- 

 fratz, Young. Bergman's idea of the best possible soil. — Analy- 

 sis by Sir H. Davy of the soil at Sheffield Place. — Note III. 

 Lord Meadowbank, one of the greatest benefactors to the British 

 farmer, as well as arboriculturist. Improvement on his method 

 of preparing manure from peat. Details of the new process. — 

 Moss- compost prepared with lime, according to Lord Dundonald's 

 method. Peculiarly valuable, in procuring cheap manure, 

 without encroaching on the farm-yard. — Note IV. Great im- 

 provement made in the common mode of trenching or double- 

 digging. Three spits deep recommended, instead of two, and no 

 shovellings. Particulars of this method, as practised at Allan- 

 ton House. Greater depth, and greater comminution of the 

 parts, obtained by it. - - - - 421-427 



Mr Withers's two Pamphlets. 



First pamphlet ; Great power of trenching and manuring, to 

 accelerate the growth of wood, and the return to the planter.^ 

 System not new; well known to the ancients, and to every 

 modern nation ; familiar to myself forty years ago. — Important 

 for particular purposes, but not adapted to general planting.— 

 Unfounded and erroneous in Mr Withers, to call the pitting 

 method of planting " the Scotch System." Long known to, 

 and practised by every other nation in Europe, down to the 

 present time. - 427-430 



Second pamphlet : Improvement of the royal forests, and raising 

 superior timber for the navy ; — in a letter to Sir Walter Scott, 

 on certain "Fundamental Errors," committed by that dis- 

 tinguished writer, in his able Essay " On the Planting of Waste 

 Lands." — Egregious blunders of Mr William Billington, Sur- 

 veyor-General of eleven thousand acres of the Forest of Dean ; 

 also in following " the supposed Scotch method.''^ — Condemnation 

 of Mr Withers's plan, by all planters of experience, for 



* The title of the pamphlet is : — " A Memoir addressed to the Society for 

 the encouragement of Arts, &c.; on the Planting and Rearing of Forest Trees, 

 demonstrating the necessity of Trenching Ground, &c., and the powerful and 

 Profitable Effects of Manure. 2d Edit. London, 1826." 



