Xvi 



P H E F A C E. 



bale the deceit is, and how fliocking to tlie peribii tlius deceived, 

 Yxtc being too fiicrt often to repair thefe misfortunes. Such 

 circumftances however are far from being uncommon, and too 

 many gentlemen in Scotland will lliake their heads with hearty 

 concern on the remembrance of fimilar cafes, and fecond me in 

 the juface of this obfervation, and how necelTary it is to be 

 cautious in the choice of nurferymen. 



It has been an almofc univerfally received opinion, that trees 

 ought to be raifed in the nurfery on a poorer foil than that to 

 which they are afterwards to be tranfported for good ; and it 

 has been direded by many, otherways the mod refpedable au- 

 thors. I mufl acknowledge this doArine has a very fpecious 

 appearance at firft view : I adhered to it early in life, and it is 

 fo feemingly confiflent wdth Nature, that I am not furprized it 

 has been generally adopted by young planters ; at the fame time, 

 I cannot account for thofe who have had much pradlice, and 

 long experience, not expofing the errors of it. 



In the following fheets I have given fome examples, from 

 frequently repeated experiments, of the ill effedls I have felt 

 by planting young and tender feedlings in the pooreft foils, 

 and the greater fuccefs attending thofe that were well-grown, 

 on the fame, or in fimilar fituations. The confequences of railing 

 plants on pooi hungry land, are no lefs fatal than planting the 

 feedlings in fuch, and fliould as much as pofTible be avoided. I 

 have mentioned, in the culture of many trees, the neceffity of pro- 

 moting their vigorous growth at firft, in order to their becoming 

 ftately and handfome ; nor can this be effeCled by any other 

 means than being early nurfed in generous foil, for whatever 



