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THE planter's GUIDE. 



tlie general character, species, and varieties of each ; the 

 properties thej possess, nseful as well as ornamental ; the 

 soil and situation to which tlie j are most suited ; pointing 

 out, at the same time, in how far thej are worthy of 

 transplantation, or afford facilities for that purpose. 

 First, then, in point of rank and importance stands 



THE OAK. 



This tree is a native of the temperate latitudes, and is 

 scarcely to be seen under the frigid or torrid zone. It is 

 indigenous to Britain, where it is supposed to attain 

 greater perfection than in any other country, and is found 

 in almost every part of the island. 



It is pleasing to consider, in treating of this noble 

 plant, that it unites at once, in itself, the most remarkable 

 properties — ^the greatest beauty, the greatest usefulness, 

 and the greatest durabihty — and for that reason is well 

 entitled to be held as the monarch of the wood. It is a 

 well-known native of almost all parts of Europe and 

 Asia, and of several parts of America. Dr Marty n of 

 Cambridge, in his valuable edition of Miller's Dictionary, 

 enumerates in all six-and-twenty different species ; but, 

 for our present purpose, two British kinds only need be 

 mentioned — differing from each other in the two obvious 

 and permanent characters, the fruit and the leaf. To 

 these shall be added one American. 



I. The upright or stalk-fruited Oak {Querciis rohur 

 pedunculata.) Evelyn calls it Q. urhana, and Miller, 

 Q. foemina. This is the species by far the most common 

 both in England and Scotland and has been termed by 

 some late writers of the former country, the " Peduncu- 

 lated but I prefer the names already known to and 

 recognised by the botanists of England. 



