HERTFORDSHIRE NATURALISTS AND THEIR WORK. 
85 
be so placed; his was the advice of a practical man as opposed to 
that of a philosopher. His competence may also be gauged by 
his account of the transport of lime-trees from Hadham, where 
they had been raised, to Cassiobury, and there planted in an avenue 
in 1672 : of 296, not one tree died as the result of removal, whilst 
of 30 trees from the same parcel, equally good and strong, sent to 
Sir William Temple and planted at Sheen in better soil by other 
hands, four-fifths died. Cook’s success must be ascribed to his 
preparation of the stations for planting, and care in the operation. 
(Ed. 1, pp. 21, 22; ed. 3, p. 32.) 
He also speaks of the converse operation, removing a hedge of 
juniper from Cassiobury to Hadham, thus: “I confess it is some¬ 
thing ticklish to be remov’d : for it’s being not used to stir far 
from home, makes it many times lose its way, and its Life too, 
if led too far from its native place at unseasonable times, or by 
an ignorant Guide, and put into such an Habitation as is not 
suitable for it to live in. I have with good success remov’d it 
above thirty miles, namely, from beyond Cashioberry to Little 
Hadham; there I made my Ground (notwithstanding it was 
naturally a stiff clay) by mixing it well with Gravel and Sand. 
I remov’d it a little after Bartholomew-Tide, and I did not lose 
one Plant in ten; but they do flourish in two little hedges most 
gallantly.” (Ed. 1, p. 96; ed. 2, p. 164.) 
There is in some cases a doubt as to whether the trees he 
mentions are really wild specimens, or planted, but such as they 
may be are set out here, as being the earliest records of three or 
four ligneous plants of our county. 
Still quoting from the first edition of 1676, we have as presumed 
native plants (1) Prunus avium, u Woods at Cashiobury and hedges 
about,” p. 65, thus anticipating Sabine, 1815 ; (2) the Ash, 
Fraxinus excelsior , u ... in the Wood-walks at Cashiobury 
. . . to Hemstead High-way,” p. 120; “ . . . at Hadham 
Hall,” p. 55, before Coleman, 1838; (3) Populus nigra ? “ Water- 
popler ... I suppose this is the same which some call the 
Black pople^: it growes in several places about Ware by the Ditch 
sides,” p. 81; (4) a tree which is probably Salix pentandra, 
“ Smelling willow ... it shoots a great shoot, bears fine 
broad shining Leaves ... It bears a sweet beautiful Flower 
• . . From one small Plant I have Baised some hundreds, and 
have set several in our Wood-walks at Cashiobury where they 
grow well . . . ,” p. 82; lastly (5), the Birch, probably 
Betula verrucosa , “ About Cashiobury in several woods,” p. 76. 
I cannot, however, take leave of this worthy man without 
