^68 



T R E A T I S E o N 



the foil, as I liold the labour of the fpade to be of all others the 

 befl. This being done, your trees carefully raifed, their roots 

 and bodies propei'ly pruned, plant them in ftraight rows, fix feet 

 diftant every way ; let the "ground be annually dug, to encou- 

 rage the fpreading of their roots, and, at this diftance, they may 

 remain till the branches begin to approach each other, when 

 you muft take up, by the roots, every fecond row entirely, and 

 every fecond plant in the row remaining, which will leave them 

 at twelve feet diftance ; and -the wood of the trees taken ud, will 

 be highly ufeful for many purpofes of gardening and farming. 

 Having dug or half-trenched the land, (for deep trenching 

 would increafe the growth, but retard the fertility), it may, for 

 fome years, if of a good quality, be profitably employed in Pota- 

 toes, Cabbages, Turnips, and many other crops, which, by 

 digging in the leaves of the Chefnuts, when rotted, (the beft of 

 all manure for them), will,- inftead of exhaufting, annually invi- 

 gorate the foil, and improve the plantations both for fruit and 

 timber. Thefe trees having flood till their branches begin to 

 meet as formerly, muft again be reduced in the fame proportion 

 the others were, which will leave them at twenty-four feet di- 

 ftance CA^ery way, and at which diftance they may remain for 

 good. The wood of this laft felling will faw into fmall boards, 

 and, being now abotit twenty years old, muft be rooted out en- 

 tirely, to prevent impoverifing the land, and robbing the trees 

 of ~tla.eir proper nouriftiment, which, as the Chefnut flioots vi- 

 goroufly after cutting over, muft neceffarily be the cafe. The 

 -timber of thefe taken up, being of fize for feveral ufeful purpofes, 

 will bring a confiderable price from the joiner, cabinet-maker, 

 <6^r. and the remaining trees, which already have produced 

 fruit for feveral years, will henceforward bear vaft quantities, 

 and make great returns of profit to the owner. 



