78 TREATISE o 'n 



jng, and fift over tliem not more than a quarter of an incli of 

 fine compoft earth, mixed with one-fourth part of fea-fand, or, 

 failing that, the fined pit- land you can procure. If the weather is 

 dry, and not frofty, in a fortnight after fowing, give them gentle 

 waterings in the evening of every fourth or fifth day, and in 

 fix weeks they will begin to appear above ground. As thefe 

 plants come \ip with the feeds on their top, v/hich the birds are 

 very fond of, care mufc be taken to guard them from thofe ene- 

 mies, who will otherways deftroy all or mod of them, but which 

 may eafily be prevented, by driving a few fork'd flakes round the 

 beds,' and throwing a net or other thin covering over them. The 

 plants being fairly above ground, muft now be refreflied with a lit- 

 tle water every fecond or third night, for three weeks, when it does 

 not rain : But this muft be- given with care, and as lightly as pof- 

 ble, with a watering-pot that has fmall holes in the rofe of it ; 

 for thefe plants, tho' afterwards amongft the hardieft trees, are, 

 in their infant ftate, very delicate ; and heedlefsly dafhing on the 

 water from a coarfe watering-pot, would deftroy great numbers 

 of them. The waterings, as directed after the feeds appear, muft 

 be continued, tho' only once in ten or twelve days, increafing 

 the quantity when the weather is hotter than ufual, till the 

 end of Auguft, 



The weeds, at their firft appearance, muft be carefully pick'd 

 out, as otherways, in a few days, it will be impoflible to do it 

 without bringing many of the plants alongft with them. 



It may probably be objecled, by fuch as make no diftin(5lion 

 in the quality of plants, that I have directed unneceflary trouble 

 .and expeace in the culture of this hardy tree, which is now 



