4 



THE planter's GUIDE. 



forests were cut down ; and industry became indispens- 

 able in order to furnish a supply of wood. Hence the 

 planting and rearing of wood and timber trees for that 

 purpose, is one of the most important arts which can 

 excite the attention and exercise the skill of a polished 

 nation, and especially one whose existence may be said to 

 depend on the paramount superiority of its naval force. 



It is a subject of regret that the art of Planting in 

 Britain has not hitherto been cultiyated on scientific prin- 

 ciples. It seems surprising that the nation to which the 

 world is principally indebted for the application of physi- 

 ology and chemistry to agriculture, should never have 

 thought of applying those sciences to wood, and that 

 British planters should still be as completely unacquainted 

 with the nature and anatomy of plants, as they were 

 in the days of Evelyn and Cooke. In fact, their igno- 

 rance would seem portentous and incredible were it not 

 proved by daily experience.''' Thus planting is still 

 regarded by many as a secondary branch of horticulture, 

 unworthy of being separately treated or attentively 

 studied. By the institution of Societies, where experi- 

 ments are carefully recorded, and general conclusions 

 deduced from well-authenticated facts, agriculture, 

 within the last thirty years, has assumed a more regular 

 form and character ; and horticulture, by the same laud- 

 able means, promises ere long to rise to the rank of this 

 her elder sister. We may therefore reasonably expect 

 that the time is not far distant when arboriculture, 

 being of the same family, will at length share the same 

 distinction ; that it will be taken out of ignorant hands, 

 and engage the attention of the ingenious and the 

 scientific. It is to our southern neighbours that we 



* Note I. 



