THE planter's GUIDE. 



43 



on a tree of the same age, unremoved, it would so mucli 

 stint the growth as not to be recovered in several years ; 

 nor would it ever arrive at the size of such as had all 

 their branches left upon them/^'" 



He is, therefore, no advocate for the removal of large 

 trees ; and the reason evidently is, that he never saw 

 it executed but on principles utterly at variance with 

 phytological science, and the law of nature respecting the 

 growth of plants, — for Miller seems to have been well 

 acquainted with their history and constitution, and with 

 the beautiful action and reaction, which all their parts 

 constantly maintain on one another. 



Although it is pleasing to observe so much good sense, 

 and so much sound science displayed, at so early a period 

 of our arboricultural history, yet it is a curious fact that 

 neither the precept nor the example of Miller produced 

 any good effect, nor any material change in the general 

 practice, and by consequence, any improvement in the 

 art. The fact is, that from the days of Evelyn down to 

 the present times, or more probably from the time of the 

 Romans under Nero and Vespasian, the practice of the 

 art has suffered no great alteration or improvement ; and, 

 with the best planters of England, it is still as much a 

 matter of physical force as it was with Prince Maurice 

 of Saxony or Louis XIV. 



I can speak partly from my own knowledge of the 

 general transplanting system, now established in England 

 and this country, and partly from the information com- 

 municated by some of the most experienced planters of 

 both countries, in asserting, that the method so justly 

 reprobated by the judicious Miller is in pretty general 

 use. I will not affirm that there is no planter who pre- 



* Miller's Gardener's and Botanist's Dictionary, voce Planting. 



