THE planter's GUIDE. 



237 



distributed, and the valuable discovery, that so cheap and 

 common a substance as shows has the property of 

 excluding air, and retaining moisture, and is, by conse- 

 quence, the best safeguard against the effects of drought. 



The next branch of afterwork that requires considera- 

 tion is a very important one, and that is the maintenance 

 of the trees in a state of progressive vigour after being 

 planted : and as there are few subjects in arboricultural 

 economy that appear to be less understood, I shall the 

 more particularly enlarge upon it. 



It has been already observed, that no experienced 

 planter expects his removed trees to shoot freely until 

 they have been fairly established in the ground ; and that 

 is a circumstance which must be regulated by soil and 

 climate, by scientific planting and previous selection. It 

 is true, according to the system now attempted to be 

 established, they will carry a full leaf after the first, or 

 at all events after the second season ; and as they are 

 preserved entire in all their parts, they will produce the 

 full efi'ect of trees which have never been removed ; still, 

 it is not until the fourth or fifth year, or more, that 

 shoots of any consequence can be expected. With par- 

 ticular trees, however, this expectation is not always 

 fulfilled ; and it sometimes happens, when the process of 

 removal has been conducted in the best manner and on 

 the best soil, when the sun has shone, and the rains have 

 descended most favourably on the plants, that six, and 

 seven, and a greater number of years will elapse, without 

 any decided proofs of advancement. Not but that they 

 seem sufficiently healthy and continue to groiv; but we 

 want something more ; we expect them to thrive in their 

 new situations. This backwardness in trees, as it 

 appears, is confined for the most part to such as are 

 planted in exposed situations : heat and shelter being its 



