-44 TREATISE on 



perlments have already been tried in vain,, but not conduded 

 judicioufly, or on proper principles. 



Where the foil is of a loofe fandy quality, the trees mufl ne- 

 ceflarily be planted in pits, as, by breaking up the whole furface, 

 many of them may be blown out of the ground, and others bu- 

 ried by the driving of the fand, where the fituation is expofed. 

 With refpe(5l to every other foil folid enough not to be driven 

 by the winds, notwithftanding much has been faid in de- 

 fence of pitting plants, I muft from experience, and I think plain 

 reafon too, dilfent from it, and maintain, that all fuch cannot 

 be too long fallowed and pulverifed, by frequent plowings and 

 harrowings; grounds of a middling quality, after grafs, will re- 

 quire a furamer and winter's labour at leaft ; an obftinate clay, 

 not lefs than two. 



Neither is the extraordinary expence of labouring this ground 

 fo great, as may atfirfl: view appear without refledling on future 

 circumftances. The pits in old, hard, uncultivated land,. muft be 

 made three times as large as on that which is dreffed, and ought 

 to have a good deal of loofe earth round the roots, otherways,^ 

 in wet feafons, the water will ftagnate and rot the fibres ; and 

 in any feafon they will be fo much obftru(5led in their progrefs 

 when they reach the hard uncivilized earth, as to become ftunt- 

 ed and hide-bound, from which they flowly recover, and that 

 feldom till they are cut over ; whereas, in the other fituation, the 

 pits need be made no larger than eafily to contain the roots, as 

 they will proceed in their growth, and fpreacl their roots near the.: 

 furface without interruption. However, if planting the ground in: 

 its natural flate is determined^ let the pits be made the preceding 



