General Instructions. 



experiments, that the way to keep ground moist was to 

 make it fine ; and Mr. Curwen proA^ed, that, in the same 

 field, there was dew where he had made the earth fine, 

 and no dew where lie had not done it. 



77' III paragraph 54, I spoke of the manner of planting 

 large trees, and recommended the dipping of the roots, 

 especially if in dry weather, in mud, either natural or made, 

 just hefore planting. I have always planted in April, if 

 I could ; but sometimes in May ; because I prefer the dry 

 and fine earth to all other things. But, in really hot 

 weather, such as we sometimes have in those months, 

 I have what they call grouted the trees, which word grouted 

 comes from the word grout, and that, certainly, from the 

 Saxon word grut, which means wet dirt. The grout is 

 made by taking some water to the plantation ground, 

 putting it into a large tub, flinging some earth into the tub, 

 and stirring it up till it form a sort of thick mud. The 

 roots of the trees are dipped into this just before they are 

 planted. A little of the nuul adheres to them ; but the 

 great advantage is, that the fine earth, which in such 

 weather is pretty dry, clings at once closely about every 

 root; sticks to all and every part of it; and, if this pre- 

 caution be taken, and the rest of the work be well performed, 

 no man need fear to plant a young tree in any part of the 

 month of May, except, indeed, the very hard and naked 

 rooted trees, such as the Oak and the Hickory. I should 

 not be at all afraid to make a plantation of Locust or Ash 

 in this way at any time before Midsummer. 



78. One great advantage of planting in dry weather is, 

 that you do not batter the ground and make it as hard as 

 a brick : when the dry weather comes, of necessity there 

 must be a great deal of trampling of the ground. In pretty 



