4 ® TIIE GARDENER’S VEGETABLE SYSTEM 
which, in large cities and towns, is in great demand, 
and of which, amazing quantities arc brought to 
London by land and water carriage, and Racked up 
in yards and warehaufes for me as wanted. 
The wood of the Birch and Alder is ufeful in fe- 
veral trades; the fmall wood for poles. Hakes, &c. 
and that of the Birches, for hoops to calks or tubs, 
barrels and other veflels; and the fmaller loppings is 
in great requeft for birch-brooms, and in both forts, 
the larger wood is ufed by the turners, and for making 
feveral iiufbandry implements; and that of the Alder is 
alfo adapted for any under-ground occafions, or laid in 
water, &c. as it will continue found in long duration; 
and the wood of both forts is eligible for fuel. 
So that for profitable plantations, thefe trees deferve 
admittance plentifully in all extensive fituations, and 
particularly in any infertile or wafte lands, or unculti¬ 
vated grounds, where but few other plants will prof- 
per; or in any fituation where it may be thought eli¬ 
gible or convenient, and where of feme confiderabie 
extent. 
The Alders, as before obferved, may be planted to 
much advantage in fwampy, wafte grounds, or conti¬ 
guous to water, as in which places they profper ex¬ 
ceedingly, advancing cxpeditioufly to a large fize, re¬ 
quiring but very little culture; and are profitable both 
to have in clofe growth, for coppice wood, to cut every 
Jive, fix or eight years, for various fmall purpofes, and 
in plantations for large ftandards for timber; and in 
both of which, they, in their fwift vegetation, afford 
a quick profit, efpecially as they may occupy fitua¬ 
tions and foils not eligible for other cultivation; and 
in each falling or cutting, they, being cut down low, 
will fhoot up again from the bottom : this tree is all'o 
very ufeful to plant occafionally in young plants, or in 
fmall or large cuttings along river Tides, or other 
running water, where liable to undermine the banks; 
and being planted in a clofe row along the edges, 
will root thickly and fupport the banks fecurely; and 
is like wife well adapted to plant for hedges in any low, 
marfhy fituations, either as boundary or divifion fences, 
to fuch places where it may be thought neceflary; and 
for which different occafions they may be raifed from 
feed, cuttings and layers in a nurfery, and afterwards 
transplanted as above, or by fmall or large cuttings or 
truncheons, half a yard to three or four feet long, or 
more, planted in the fpring at once where they are to 
remain; in which generally making a deep hole with a 
Hake or inftrument, &c. for each cutting; or in moift, 
foft foils, the ends of the cuttings being fharpened, may 
be thrull into the ground; but in planting rooted trees, 
a wide aperture mull be opened with a fpade for each 
plant; and of which, thofe planted clofe for coppice 
wood, fhould be headed down low, to have each ad¬ 
vance with feveral Hems from the bottom; but thofe 
dcfigned for full ftandards, fliould moil!} a 
Jingle llern. 
Likewife, all the tree Birches may be planted in 
fimilar plantations, as above, in any fituation or foil, 
where it may be convenient, or thought eligible; and 
for which, are raifed principally from feed in a nur¬ 
fery, and planted therein till of proper growth, of 
three, four, five or fix feet, or more, then tranfplant- 
ed finally for the above occafions; or they fometimes 
propagate by fuckers; and likewife, for the famepur- 
pofe, young feediing plants, rifing naturally in Birch 
woods, or in thofe where Birch trees abound, are col¬ 
lected for planting in the proper feafon; and in all of 
which methods, the trees being planted in the continu¬ 
ing plantation, are managed as obferved before, for the 
Alders, tohavethem for underwood and large ftandards. 
As to the Dwarf Birch (Betula ttana) it being of 
low, fhrub-like growth, is principally for variety, and 
is fometimes admitted in flirubbery collections. 
All the forts of Birches and Alders are raifed in 
molt of the public nurferies, where they may be pro¬ 
cured in fufficient fupplies, to introduce in plantations, 
for variety, &c. and other occafions; though, where 
confiderabie quantities are required for timber and un¬ 
derwood plantations, it would be of much advantage 
to raife them in private nurferies, to plant occafionafly 
Ss required: propagated by feed principally, in all the 
Birches; alfo the Alders, and the latter likewife, by 
cuttings and layers, and fometimes the Birches, by 
fuckers from the roots of the trees; all the plants raif¬ 
ed by either method, being forwarded in a nurfery, 
till of two, three, to five, fix or feven feet growth, 
for final tranfplanting. 
The feafon for planting all the forts is any time i* 
open weather, from October or November, to March. 
When defigned to plant thefe trees in any general 
plantation, for variety. See. either in afiemblage, or 
occafionally in diiiinCt clumps; they are of proper fize 
for this, when of five or fix, to eight, ten or twelve 
feet high, and which may be planted both in a thickety 
order, and in more open plantations, groves, clumps. 
Sec. occafionally in extenfive out-grounds and parks; 
or feme might be difpofed in feparate compart¬ 
ments, Birches and Alders diftinCt. 
But to plant them as foreft-trees, in woods, for full 
ftandards, and in coppices, for underwood, it is moll 
advifeable to perform it while the trees are in young 
growth, three or four, to five or fix feet, efpecially 
for continuing large ftandard trees; and for both pur¬ 
pofes they may either be planted in clofe rows, four 
to five, or fix feet afunder, to draw each other up 
more expeditioully in a ftraight growth; and to ad¬ 
mit 
