forest-trees: 



7 



the feeds are very fmall, it will be difficult to gatlicr any quantity 

 of them, and indeed impoffible if amongft grafs, or where there 

 is not a clean furface ; but having watched the proper time, and 

 feleded the faireft and ftraighteil trees, the beft method of ^ra- 

 thering them, is to make a man mount the tree, fpreading a mat 

 or canvafs under it, when, gently fhaking the branches, the ripe 

 feeds will eafdy part witli them and drop down. By this practice, 

 you vxrill have nothing but the moft generous fully ripened feeds, 

 a circumftance of no mean confideration in your future planta- 

 tions ; whereas, in the common way of fweeping the feeds from 

 the ground, there is always a great deal of chaff, with many weak 

 unrlpened feeds... 



The common practice is to fow thefe feeds a few days after 

 gathering them, by which means a number of them wHll rife in 

 four or five weeks; but thefe coming up at the hotteft time of 

 the year, and not having fummer enough to make them ftrong 

 plants before the hard weather comes on, are commonly fpewed 

 out of the ground the fucceeding winter ; or if that fllould be 

 uncommonly mild, and they ftand it out, yet fuch will be w^eak 

 ftunted plants, and hardly ever make free growing handfome 

 trees; and though the bulk of the feeds will not appear till the 

 following fpring, yet, from the ground being hard and battered 

 with the winter rains, they w411 make poor Ihoots, compared to 

 f\ich as are fown on frefh well-prepared land in the fpring: It is 

 therefore better management, and you will fooner come to your 

 purpofe, to raife vigorous healthful plants of thefe, or any other 

 kinds, in a proper way, than ilruggle with the recovery of wdiat 

 have been originally flarved and ftunted. For thefe reafbns, I Ihall 

 pay no_ regard to common rules, however prevailing, furthGr 



