480 



NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 



beam and the Barberry are the best ; but they require very good land. 

 The Spruce Fir on peat moss may be trained into a hedge, where nothing 

 but the Alder and the Birch will vegetate. If ornament rather than 

 strength is required, the Beech and the Evergreen Privet form a good 

 union in summer, and a fine contrast in winter. But the most beauti- 

 ful of all hedges near a gentleman's residence, where a little nicety of 

 keeping is not grudged, is composed of the Barberry and the Beech, 

 equal parts — a mixture, probably, that can be seen only in my own 

 possession. 



Note XIII. Page 880. 



" Dorty," in the Scottish dialect, signifies, as nearly as may be, pet- 

 tish, capricious, wayward ; but those words fail to convey the meaning 

 fully, as applied to plants. — See Jamieson^s Diet, in voc. 



Note XIV. Page 831. 



When this remedy first occurred to me, I was persuaded that I had 

 struck out something quite new, as well as useful. But, alas ! there is 

 little or nothing new under the sun ! for happening to look into old 

 Ralph Austen, who wrote on fruit and forest trees two hundred years 

 ago, I found the following directions for young plants of the former 

 kind. Stay not, (says he,) as the custom is, till November, or after, 

 before you transplant ; for the best time is about the latter end of Sep- 

 tember. It's a great advantage to remove plants betime ; for such grow 

 a while after in their roots before winter, and thereby not only preserve 

 themselves in winter, but also make some preparation against the spring, 

 which those removed in winter cannot doe. Stay not, therefore, till the 

 leaves fall, ere you remove, although they may be removed then witli 

 good successe ; but it is not so good at that time as before. The ancient 

 proverb is If a growing tree you would lime, let him carry Ms green 

 leaves to Ms grave."" — P. 62. How old the proverb is, this writer does 

 not say. Pliny, I think, has nothing of the kind in his work ; although 

 I should not wonder if Cato or Columella had been acquainted with it. 

 But Austen's reasons for recommending this method are deserving of 

 attention. They comprise nearly the theory which I had formed to my- 

 self, in attempting it ; and it is substantially the same as is found so suc- 

 cessful with the laurel, the holly, and the evergreens. 



