PREFACE. 



In works of this kind, it is common to have a long diilertation 

 on the foils moft proper to be chofen for raifing nurfery ; but this 

 has generally appeared to me only an innocent method of fvvcll- 

 ing a book, when an author is coftive in furnifliing other mate- 

 rials. I have defcribed the foils that the different plants treated 

 of moft affedl, and the beft manner of preparing thefe foils, at the 

 fame time with the other circumftances of culture, which I 

 imagine is the fubftantial part of all that can be faid on the fub- 

 je6l. A¥ith refpetft to the choice of foil, people muft in general 

 put up with the beft they can get, as he muft be either a very 

 cunning, or very lucky gardener, who fliail difcover fo fmall a 

 fpot of ground as is commonly required for a nurfery-garden, 

 confifting of as many various qualities as Vv^ill be agreeable to 

 all the plants neceftary there to be raifed : This muft be the ef- 

 fed: of judgment and labour, nor does Nature often admit of our 

 enjoying fuch advantages but by the fweat of our brow, I fliall 

 therefore only further obferve, that the moft defirable foil for a 

 nurfery, is that which is loofe and dry, reduced to the fmalleft 

 particles by frequent digging and raking, and which, if of a ge- 

 .nerous nature, does not require great depth ; but the worft qua- 

 lity of the worft land, is that which neareft approaches to heavy 

 moift clay, wherein the trees will neither root liberally, nor our 

 ufual weather in winter and fpring admit of its being laboured, 

 but at particular, and frequently too late periods ; whence it is 

 impoifible, that bufinefs can be carried on to any confiderable 

 extent,, feafonably, in fuch grounds. 



I HAVE faid fo much, on various occafions in the following 

 Treatife, of the difadvantages the kingdom fuftains from the ig- 

 norant or ill-defigned culture of plants, as probably to be accr.fed 



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