OF FOREST-TREES. 



127 



planted on the very surface of the ground, the swarth pared first away, CHAP. 

 and the earth stirred a foot deep or more, they will undoubtedly succeed ; ^"^"^ 

 but, in this trial, let the roots be handsomely spread, and covered a foot 

 or more in height, and, above all, firmly staked. This is practicable also 

 for other trees, where the soil is over moist or unkind ; for, as the Elm 

 does not thrive in too dry, sandy, or hot grounds, no more will it abide 

 the cold and spungy ; but loves places that are competently fertile, 

 or a little elevated from these annoyances, as we see in the mounds and 

 casting up of ditches, upon whose banks the female sort does more 

 naturally delight. It seems to be so much more addicted to some places 

 than to others, that I have frequently doubted whether it be a pure 

 indigene ° or translatitious ; and not only because I have hardly ever 

 known any considerable woods of them, (besides some few nurseries near 

 Cambridge, planted, I suppose, for store,) but most continually in tufts, 

 hedge-rows, and mounds ; and that Shropshire, and several other 

 Counties, have rarely any growing in many miles together. In the mean 

 time, some affirm they were first brought out of Lombardy, where indeed 

 I have observed very goodly trees about the rich grounds, with Pines 

 among them ; for I hear of none either in Saxony or Denmark, nor in 

 France, growing wild, who all came and preyed upon us after the 

 Romans. But I leave this to the learned. 



9. The Elm is, by reason of its aspiring and tapering growth, unless 

 it be topped to enlarge the branches and make them spread low, the least 

 offensive to corn and pasture-grounds ; to both which, and the cattle, 

 it affords a benign shade, defence, and agreeable ornament ; but then, 

 as to pastures, the wandering roots, (apt to infect the fields and grass 

 with innumerable suckers,) and the leading mother-root, ought to be quite 

 separated on that part, and the suckers eradicated : The like should 

 be done where they are placed near walks of turf or gravel. 



10. It should be planted as shallow as may be ; for, as we noted, 

 deep interring of roots is amongst the catholic mistakes, and this the 

 greatest to which trees are obnoxious. Let new-planted Elms be kept 



° The Elm is certainly a native of this country, of which there can be no stronger proo^ 

 than that there are near forty places in this kingdom which have their names from it, most 

 of which are mentioned in Doomsday-book. 



