P L A 
root out the noxious plants *, but the trees have been 
left to ftruggle with thefe bad neighbours, who have 
had long poffeffion of the ground, and have efta- 
biifhed themfelves fo ftrongly as not to be eafily over- 
come therefore, what can be expeftcd from fuch 
plantations ? This is to be underiiood oi deciduous 
trees, for the Pines and Firs, if once well roofed m 
the ground, will foon get the better of the plants and 
deftroy them. 
There’’ are fome other perfons who begin better than 
the former, and who will be at the expence of pre- 
paring the ground and of Planting their trees, but 
afterward take very little care of them ; fo that it is 
common to fee them overgrown with weeds in a year 
after they are planted, whereby the trees receive fo 
much injury as to retard their giowth, and many 
times, if the trees are young, they are totally deftroyed. 
Therefore I would advife every peribn who propoies 
to plant, to prepare the ground well before-hand, by 
trenching or deep ploughing it, and clearing it from 
the roots of all bad weeds j for by fo doing, there 
will be a foundation laid for the future fuccefs of 
the plantation. Alfo I advife no perfon to undertake 
more of this work than he can afterward keep clean, 
for all plantations of deciduous trees will require this 
care, or atleaft for feven years after they are made, if 
they hope to fee the trees thrive well, i herefore all 
fmall plantations fhould have the ground annually dug 
between the trees •, and as to thofe which are large, it 
fhould be ploughed between them. This will encou- 
rage the roots of the trees to extend themfelves, 
whereby they will find a much greater fhare of nou- 
rilhment, and by loofening the ground, the moifture 
and air will more eafily penetrate to the roots, to the 
no fmall advantage of the trees. But befides this ope- 
ration, it will be abfolutely neceffary to hoe the ground 
three or four times in fummer, either by hand or the 
hoe-plough. This I am aware will be obje&ed to by 
many, on account of the expence •, but it the firit 
hoeing is performed early in the fpring, before the 
weeds have gotten ftrength, a great quantity of ground 
may be gone over in a fhort time j and if the feafon is 
dry when it is performed, the weeds will prefently die 
after they are cut j and if this is repeated before the 
weeds come up again to any fize, it will be found the 
cheapeft and very beft hufbandry ^ for if the weeds are 
Differed to grow till they are large, it will be a much 
greater expence to root them out, and make the ground 
clean ; befides, the weeds will rob the trees of great 
part of their nounfiiment. I have fometimes been told. 
That it is neceffary to let the weeds grow among trees 
in fummer, in order to fhade their roots, and keep the 
ground moift, but this has come from perfons of no 
ikill ; but as others may have been deceived by fuch 
advice, I imagine it may not be improper to give fome 
anfwer to this. And here 1 mult obferve, That if 
weeds are permitted to grow, they will draw away all 
moifture from the roots of the trees for their own 
nourilhment, fo that the trees will be thereby deprived 
of the kindly dews and the gentle drawers of rain, 
which are of great fervi'ce to young plantations •, and 
thefe will be entirely drawn away by the weeds, which 
will prevent their penetrating the ground, fo that it 
is oniy the great rains which can defcend to the roots 
of the trees. And whoever has the leaft doubt of this 
matter, if they will but try the experiment, by keep- 
ing one part of the plantation clean, and fuffer the 
weeds to grow on another, they will foon be con- 
vinced of the truth by the growth of the trees. And 
though this cleaning is attended with an expence, yet 
the fuccefs will overpay this, befide the additional 
pleafure of feeing the ground always clean. 
In the difpofition of trees in parks, and of ftirubs and 
trees in gardens, there are very few of thole who call 
themfelves defigners, who have had much regard to 
this particular j for in moft'of the modern planta- 
tions, it is not uncommon to fee an Oak, an Elm, 
or fome other large- growing tree planted where a 
Rqfe- bufh, a Honeyiuckle, or Sweet-briar, might 
with more propriety occupy the fpace : fo that in a 
few years, if thefe large trees are left growing, the 
whole plantation mult make a difagreeable appear- 
* , w ^ a I 
ance *, but having already mentioned thefe things . 
under the ’article of Gardens, I (hall not enlarge 
farther on them here. 
PLANTING REVERSE? Dr. Agricola tells us. 
That he has made feveral experiments on the branches 
of foreign trees, as well Orange as Laurel, which he 
performed after the manner following *, he firit (trip- 
ped the branches of all the leaves , then he bent and 
tied them, dreffed them with his noble mummy, and 
planted them the reverie way, fo that nothing was to 
be feen of all the branches but the great ends, and 
kept them during the winter in his ftove. 
He adds, That thofe who have a mind to raife trees 
this way, which he calls monftrous fruit-trees, may 
raife Apples, Pears, Cherries, Apricots, Peaches, 
Mulberries, Walnut-trees, &c, alfo Rofe-trees, Gcofe- 
berry bullies, &c. which he direct to do fomething 
more at large, as follows : 
Take thofe branches that are furnifhed with long fide 
(hoots or twigs, and bend the fide twigs in the joints 
toward the great branches, and tie them together with 
bafs or packthread ; then drefs them with mummy, ei- 
ther with a brulh only near the ligature, and here and 
there on the joints, or dip them entirely into it ; then 
having made a deep hole in the ground fet the 
branches the reverfe way, fo that nothing but the long 
end of the branch appears above ground, the reft 
being covered with good, fat, and well broken earth. 
This being done, the little branches will take root in 
the joints every where ; then the buds will begin to 
fhoot, fothat you may fee fifty or fixty more branches 
fpring up, making an agreeable as well as monftrous 
figure. 
Mr. Fairchild of Hoxton had begun to put the fame 
into practice, and he gives directions for performing 
it as follows : 
Firft, to make choice of a young tree of one fhoot, 
either of Alder, Elm, or Willow, or any other tree 
that will take root eafily by laying, and to bend the 
extreme part of the fhoot gently down into the earth, 
and fo let it remain till it has taken root, fo that 
the plant then will referable an arch or bent bow above 
the ground. 
When this top end has well (truck new roots, to dig 
about the firft root, and raife it gently out of the 
ground, till the ftem is upright, and fo flake it up, 
otherwile it will be apt to bend. 
Then to prune thofe roots that are eretfted in the air, 
from the bruifes and wounds which they received in 
being dug up, and do over with a brufii the pruned 
parts with the following compofition, moderately 
warm : 
Take four ounces of tallow, four ounces of bees-wax, 
two ounces of refin, and two ounces of turpentine, 
melted together in a pipkin. 
After this prune off all the buds or (hoots that are 
upon the ftem or plant, and drefs the wound with the 
fame compofition, to prevent any collateral ftiootings, 
that may fpoil the beauty of the ftem. 
Befides, care is to be taken, that the new- growing 
roots of this reverfed plant be well nourifhed ; and 
therefore that part of the fhoot which was the larger, 
is to be cut away a little below the earth, that the 
ftem may be better nourifhed, and its roots mandated. 
Thefe experiments are curious but not ufeful, be- 
caufe thefe reverfed trees never fhoot perpendicular, 
but their branches incline to the ground, retaining 
their former method of growing. 
PLAT AN US. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 590. tab. 363. 
Lin. Gen. Plant. 954- of a^-Aa-ru?, broad, 
becaufe the leaves of this tree are broad.] The .Plane- 
tree. 
The Characters are. 
It hath male and female flowers growing feparate on the 
fame tree. The made flowers are collected- in a round ball \ 
they have no petals , but have very fmall empalements , 
which have oblong coloured jlamina , terminated by four- 
cornered fummits. The female flowers have fmall fcaly 
empalements , 
( 
