460 



NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



ingenious friend IMr Smith, the trees at Ibroxhill were just as skilfully 

 taken up and planted as those transferred at this place, although the 

 latter might have the advantage in the preparation of the soil. But I 

 am the more anxious here to state the above remarkable fact, together 

 with, the circumstances which attended it, that it is impossible to press 

 the importance of after-work too earnestly on the young planter's 

 mind. For a similar object — namely, that of preserving the vigour of 

 his trees during Ms first season — I earnestly request of him to give an 

 attentive perusal to pages 823, 324, et seq. ante, containing "an 

 Inquiry into the Causes of Backwardness in Trees," as he will find, 

 that the circumstances above stated bear strongly on that discussion, 

 and tend to illustrate it in a very striking manner. 



That the art which has been the subject of the foregoing pages will, 

 ere long, be practised by many with a success and a skill superior to 

 mine, I entertain no sort of doubt. I have laboured, and I trust not 

 unsuccessfully, to refer to Principles of Science that which was vague 

 and fortuitous in this department of rural pursuit ; and to induce 

 planters to follow the Laws of Nature, by carefully studying them in 

 her own ample volume, rather than by trusting to the dogmas or the 

 prejudices of any class of men. What I have in this way begun, I 

 hope that others better qualified may perfect, bringing superior ability, 

 if not superior diligence, to the advancement of an art which requires 

 only to be more fully known in order to become both popular and 

 useful. For this purpose, however, I am aware that it must be 

 brought into notice by those who lead tlie fashion of the day, in arts as 

 well as letters. When vegetable physiology comes thus to be better 

 understood, and arboriculture, as an interesting art, more generally 

 studied by landowners and country gentlemen, it will no longer 

 remain doubtful that any man, possessed of science, and capable of 

 industry, may give immediate and certain effect to wood in any 

 manner, and to any extent, he pleases. 



