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FOREST-TREES. 



iniiched' during winter with the heavenly influences, and again 

 in the fpring dug and laid down fwcet and loofe, — mull not the 

 foil in this condition, I fay, nourifli every plant in a much 

 higher degree, than that laid down in autumn, hardened and 

 battered with the winter rains ? And tho' many of the acorns 

 will vegetate before fowing, yet that vegetation is preferved by 

 the mixture of fand or loofe earth, and, before February, will 

 make no advance, tending to impede, but, on the contrary, will 

 forward the future growth of the plant ; only, let it be carefully 

 attended to, that the acorns have not the fmalleft degree of 

 moifture about them when mixed, that the mixture is alfo 

 dry, and that they are kept protecT:ed from wet.. 



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Gardeners, in general, have the fpecious word nature eter- 

 nally in their mouths, and no doubt there is a great deal in it, 

 when properly underflocd and applied ; but the herd of them 

 knew nothing of either, and the true application of it in garden- 

 ing, requires good fenfe, joined to much obfervation and experi- 

 ence : But be tliat fo, or otherwife, was not nature def gned to 

 be modified and improved by art in many things ? If it was not, 

 many found heads have in vain perplexed themfelves in the 

 ftudy of gardening. 



Bet ORE proceeding to the further culture of the Oak, this 

 may be a proper place to take notice of the general, or almofL 

 univerfal ill' practice of nurferymen, dibbling their plants of one 

 and two years old, or indeed as large as the dibble, with hard 

 thrufting, will make room to contain them. Dibbling is hurtful,, 

 in a high degree, to the vv'liole fpecies of trees and plants ; but 

 to the Oak, and all the nut-bearing carroty-rooted kinds-, it is 



