The Locust. 



357. Now, let it be observed, that these trees are grow- 

 ing at Botley j that anybody may see them there; that there 

 are thousands of persons who can bear testimony to the 

 rise of the plantation j that the men who planted these trees 

 are living, and on the spot too. 



358. Did any one of my readers ever know, or hear of, a 

 growth of timber-trees to equal this ? Larches and Firs, 

 even these soft things, were, perhaps, never known to get 

 up and to swell out as fast as this. I reckon the years of 

 growth from the year of 'planting out to this year, inclusive, 

 though there is almost half a year less. The last tree, for 

 instance (No. 12), has not been planted out eleven years 

 until next April. And did Englishmen ever before hear cf 

 such growth of timber far tetter than Oak f Look at the 

 dimensions of that tree. Forti/ feet high, three feet and two 

 inches round at the bottom, and its two limbs, at twelve feet 

 from the ground, just the same bigness. I regret that I did 

 not get the inches round at twenty feet from the ground. 

 But, only think of such a growth of wood ten times as good 

 as Spine Oak ! 



359. But, now, as to the soil. No soil can be too good 

 for such trees. But, the Locust will grow on almost any 

 soil. The reader will have perceived a great difference in 

 the rate of growth of the three plantations ; and I am now 

 about to show the cause of it. The first plantation (Nos. 1 

 and 2) was made in deep, rich, fine mould. The third plan- 

 tation (Nos. 8 to 12) was made in good loam, and by the side 

 of rutming water. But the second plantation (Nos. 3 to 7) 

 was made in a poor gravelly soil, having about a foot of 

 earth, pretty well mixed with stones at the top, and then, 

 as you went down, more and more of gravel. In short, 

 very poor land indeed : a gravelly brow, with, at about four 



o 



