Chap. V. of Gardening. 



The firft is to examine if a Tree beftrait, ofa fine Stern,- 

 of a bright and fmooth Rind free from Mofs ; if it have good 

 Store of Roots, and very fibrous j if it be well drawn, 

 without breaking or wronging the greater Roots. You 

 can't be deceived in believing a Tree in this Condition 

 good, fince it has all the Qualities requilite to make it, in 

 Time, a fine Tree. But, if the Plant be crooked, fliort, 

 and mifhapen, its Bark fcabby and full of Mofs, and its 

 Roots broken and Ihiver'd, or very much unfurnifli'd, and 

 not fibrous, the Tree is doubtlefs good for nothing, and you 

 ought to rejeft it entirely. You may confidently depend 

 upon this Obfervation, which indeed is the moft elfential of 

 all, and will hold as a general Rule for all the Plants you 

 can fuppofe. 



The fecond Thing material to be obferved in the Choice 

 of Trees, is, that they be taken out of worfe Ground than 

 you intend to pi^t them into. TheReafon is, that the Trees 

 liking this better Earth, take Root again fooner, become 

 more bulky and ftrait^ grow infinitely tafter, and are not fo 

 fubjed: to be cover'd with Mofs. Whereas, if your Plants 

 come out of as good Earth, or better than that into which-: 

 you remove them, they droop and languilli, grow crooked, 

 grubby, and full of Mofs 5 and at laft die away, and feeui 

 to bewail, if I may fo fay, the Lofs of their firft Nurfe. 



The third Obfervation is, not to infift too much upon^^- 

 the Bignefs of Trees ; for I efteem a Tree of a moderate Size, 

 better than all the great ones that are fought with fo much 

 Earncftnefs ; and there is more Hope of its taking Root 

 when 'tis about fix or feven Inches in Compafs, than when 

 'tis very large. There are alio more of thefe great Trees 

 die, notwithftanding all the Precautions that can be taken^ 

 than of thofe that are of the Size I mention. 



As to Palifades, the Plants that are moft eftcemed for 

 riiem, are Horn-beam, Beech, and Maple, which, tobegood^ 

 &ould have their Bark bright and fmooth, and their Root 

 very fibrous. They fliould be drawn from a Nurfery, where 

 they were raifed from Seed 5 you may eafily know that a. 

 Plant is taken from a Nurfery, when it is ftrait and fair, and 

 its Tap«.Root no| hooked i for the Plants of Horn-beam and 



Maple 



