XURSERY AND PLANTING. 



Ill 



of a considerable size, and others such as are quite small and 

 young, while a third recommends sowing or planting the acorn, 

 where the future tree is intended to grow. Large plants of 

 any tree cannot be with propriety planted to any extent, when 

 the object is profitable planting ; and too small plants are also, 

 in many cases, objectionable, particularly when the surface is 

 rough, and the ground not prepared by ploughing or trenching. 



Oaks, that have stood two years in the seed-bed, and which 

 have been afterwards planted out into nursery-lines for one 

 year more to strengthen, may be considered the best of all 

 plants for successful planting, and at that age are better fur- 

 nished with fibres than when of a greater size or age. Next to 

 these, we would say that the oaks which have been transplanted 

 from the seed-bed, when one year old, into nursery-lines, and 

 left in them for two seasons to attain strength, are the best. 



There are above forty species of oaks introduced into this 

 country, all of which are timber-trees in their own countries, 

 but are of too slow a growth, or of too delicate a nature, to 

 attain a profitable size in this country. The two native spe- 

 cies, the Quercus robar and Q. pe-diinculata, are by fiir the 

 most valuable; and to them may be added, if planted in favor- 

 able situations, the Turkey oak, Q. cerriSf which promises to 

 become a most valuable addition to our forest timber-trees. 

 Little attention has hitherto been paid by the collectors of 

 acorns, to distinguish between the two British species above ; 

 but this, like the gathering of seeds in general, is committed 

 to those who know or care little about the matter. This, 

 however, deserves attention, as the merits of the Q. pcdun- 

 culata are evidently much greater than those of the Q. robaVf 

 and is readily distinguished from the latter by the circumstance 

 of the acorns being placed on long foot-stalks, whilst those of 

 the robar are nearly sessile; and, independently of the supe- 

 rior utility and hardness of the timber, the pedunculated oak 

 is, in fact, the most magnificent of the two British sorts. 



Pine. — (Pi/^//5.) 



Of this very useful and interesting family there are about 

 fifly species introduced. The greater part of which are, how- 

 ever, cultivated only in a botanical point of view. The spe- 



