102 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK I. very first year, as Gasper Barljeus hath related in his elegant description 

 of that Prince's expedition. Nor hath this only succeeded in the Indies 

 alone ; JNIonsieur de Fiat, one of the Mareschals of France, hath Avith 

 huge Oaks done the like at Fiat. Shall I yet bring you nearer home ? 

 A great person in Devon, planted Oaks as big as twelve oxen could 

 draw, to supply some defect in an avenue to one of his houses, as the 

 Right Honourable the Lord Fitz-Harding, late Treasurer of his Majesty's 

 Household, assured me, who had himself likewise practised the removing 

 of great Oaks by a particular address, extremely ingenious, and worthy 

 the communication. 



10. Choose a tree as big as your thigh, remove the earth from about 

 it, cut through all the collateral roots, till, with a competent strength, 

 you can enforce it down upon one side, so as to come with your ax at 

 the tap-root ; cut that off, re-dress your tree, and so let it stand, covered 

 about with the mould you loosened from it, till the next year, or longer 

 if you think good, then take it up at a fit season ; it will likely have 

 drawn new tender roots apt to take, and sufficient for the tree, where- 

 soever you shall transplant it. Some are for laying bare the whole root, 

 and then dividing it into four parts, in form of a cross, to cut away the 

 interjacent rootlings, leaving only the cross and master-roots that were 

 spared to support the tree ; then, covering the pit with fresh mould, as 

 above, after a year or two, when it has put forth, and furnished the 

 interstices you left between the cross-roots with plenty of new fibres and 

 tender shoots, you may safely remove the tree itself so soon as you have 

 loosened and reduced the four decussated roots, and shortened the tap- 

 roots ; and this operation is done without stooping or bending the tree 

 at all : And if, in removing it, you preserve as much of the clod about 

 the new roots as possible, it would be much the better. 



Pliny notes it as a common thing to re-establish huge trees which 

 have been blown down, part of their roots torn up, and the body 

 prostrate ; and, in particular, speaks of a fir that, when it was to be trans- 

 planted, had a tap-root which went no less than eight cubits perpen- 

 dicular. And to these I could super-add, by woeful experience, where 

 some Oaks and other old trees of mine tore up with their fall and ruin, 

 portions of earth, in which their former spreading roots were engaged, 

 little less in bulk and height than some ordinary cottages built on the 



