114 TREATISE on 



with all the imifty parts naturally contradled in the v/oods for 

 want of air ; reduce likewife the tops of fuch as are too tall or 

 heavy-headed, and lay them in drills cut down with the fpade, 

 at the farne diftances diredled for the feed lings, in depth propor- 

 tioned to the fize of the plants, the moft certain rule for which, 

 in this and all other trees, is placing them as deep only as they 

 have naturally flood before ; water them at planting, keep the 

 ground clean, and dig between the lines in the fpring. Having 

 flood here two years, cut them all over by the ground, and let 

 them remain two years longer, when they may be removed for 

 good. 



The fecond and third forts will bear our winters well enough, 

 when mixt with and flickered by other plants : They may be 

 propagated either by layers or budding them on the common 

 kind ; but it is uncertain raifmg them by feeds from America, 

 which do not vegetate, if kept long out of the ground. 



Th e Birch is a handfome plant ; and though the wood is not 

 amongft the moft valuable, yet it is ufeful for various purpofesj 

 and no tree is more required by the country people, for their 

 houfcs, or for ploughs, and other inflruments of hufbandry. 



The late Earl of Hadinton, the greatefl, mofl judicious 

 and fuccefsful planter of his time in this country, juflly calls the 

 Birch an amphibious plant, as it grows on rich and poor, wet 

 and dry, fandy or rocky fituations, nor refufes any foil or cli- 

 mate, and its fragrant fmell after rains juftly intitles it to a place 

 in the wildernefs ; to which I fhall only add, that by woimding 

 the tree in the fpring, is extra(5led a large quantity of juice, 

 that, fermented, becomes a fpirituous, delicious, wholefbme liquor. 



