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THE planter's GUIDE. 



able terms. He had heard, he said, on the best autho- 

 rity, that the art of removing trees, however it might be 

 improved in my hands, vras practised at enormous cost. 

 To £2 or £3 each for handsome trees, he observed, no 

 reasonable man could object, if of such a size and figure 

 as to give the immediate effect of wood near his residence : 

 but from ten to fifteen guineas he certainly considered as 

 rather too expensive a luxury for general use. To this I 

 replied that he had been misled by such information, be 

 the authors who they might. But in order to undeceive 

 him, and that the cost should not exceed his own estimate 

 of £2 and £3 per tree, I undertook that a machine of the 

 intermediate size should be provided for him, and that 

 two of my best hands should attend at Cleghorn for the 

 purpose of instructing his workmen, and of putting the 

 thing to the test of his oiun experience. 



Having explained to Mr Lockhart the nature of the 

 principles which had been appHed to the art, he seemed 

 quite satisfied that tliej' are consonant to the laws of 

 nature, and to what we know of the anatomy of woody 

 plants. Accordingly, in the middle of J anuary last, (1827,) 

 we commenced our operations on the spot. Having 

 selected some trees with fine tops, which were far better 

 subjects than woods not thinned for the purpose usually 

 furnish, we very speedily transferred them. And in order 

 to show how readily my friend apprehended the difi^erent 

 processes, he soon, like Mr Smith, became his own director 

 of the work, and managed the whole with singular address, 

 and intelligence of the subject. 



The trees removed were eleven in number, and consisted 

 of Oaks, Beeches, Limes, Sycamores, and Horse-Chestnuts. 

 Among them was one Beech of the pendant species, a very 

 singular and valuable plant, which is worthy of an atten- 

 tive cultivation, and is rarely to be met with. The 



