290 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK I. to bring them out of the Alps, we should less stick at the difficulty of 

 """'-^r^*^ transporting them from the utmost parts of Scotland. To the former sorts 

 we may add the Esterund Firs, Tonsberry, Frederickstadt, Hilleren, 

 Holmstrand, Landifer, Stavenger, Lawrwat, &c. There is likewise 

 a kind of Fir called in Dutch the Green-boome, much used in building 

 of ships, though not for men of war, because of its lightness, and that it 



" too-ether, that they may shelter each other ; and when they have grown a few years, 

 " part of the plants may be cut down to give room for the others to grow; but this must 

 " be gradually performed, lest, by too much opening the plantation at once, the air should 

 "be let in among the remaining trees with too great violence, which will stop their 

 " growth. 



" Although these evergreen trees are by many persons despised on account of their dark 

 " gi-een in summer, yet a proper mixture of them in large clumps makes a fine appearance 

 " about a seat in winter ; and in summer, by their contrast with other trees, they have a 

 " good effect in diversifying the scene. 



Whenever large plantations are designed to be made, it will be proper to form the 

 " nursery upon a piece of good ground as near the plantation as possible ; or the cottagers 

 " may be induced to raise the seeds, which will give employment to the women and 

 " children at a time when the farmer has least occasion for their assistance. 



" The Scotch Pine, as was before observed, being the hardiest of all the kinds, and the 

 « wood of it the most useful, is the sort which best deserves our care. This will thrive 

 " upon the most barren sands, where scarce any thing else, except heath and furze, will 

 " wrow. There are many thousand acres of such land lying convenient for water-carriage, 

 <' (at present affording no benefit to the public,) that might, by plantations of these trees, 

 " become good estates to their proprietors, and also a national benefit ; and as the legis- 

 " lature has taken this into consideration, and already passed some laws for the encouraging 

 " these plantations, as also for their preservation and security, so it may be hoped that this 

 improvement will be undertaken by the gentlemen who are possessed of such lands in all 

 " the different parts of the kingdom ; for although they may not expect to receive much 

 " profit from these plantations in their own time, yet their successors will be highly bene- 

 " fited ; and the pleasure which those growing trees will afford, by beautifying the present 

 "dreary parts of the country, will, in some measure, recompense them for their trouble and 

 " expense ; and by creating employment for the poor, lessen those rates which are now so 

 " high in many parts of this kingdom. 



" The expense of making these plantations is what most people are afraid of; but the 

 " greatest expense is that of fencing them from the cattle, &c. for the other is trifling, as 

 " there will be no necessity for preparing the ground to receive the plants ; and the charge 

 " of planting an acre of land with these plants will not be more than twenty or thirty 

 '< shillings, where labour is dear, exclusive of the plants which may be valued at forty 

 *' shillings more. I have planted many acres of land with these trees, which were covered 

 " with heath and furze, and only dug holes between to put in the plants, and afterward 



