5. 4. 3

to drain thoroughly, wherever there was occaſion. The plant, according to the uſual“ mode in Scotland, was placed in a pit, which, inſtead of being dug out and left open; was made, at the inſtant of planting, in the following manner: The labourer, with two cuts of his ſpade, raiſed up and folded back an angular piece of turf; and after the under-ground had been moved and looſened by a trowel, ſo as.to enable the ten- der fibres of the root to penetrate the ground, the plant was inſerted, and its roots ſcparated properly in one of the cuts, and the piece replaced and made firm, ſo as to prevent the wind-waving of the plant, as may be eaßfly underſtood by the follow- ing figure,

Cc

A D and A C may repreſent the cuts made by the labourer, and B where the ground 18 left entire or uncut. After the piece D A C has been folded back, and the earth: moved, the plant is inſerted either in the line or cut AD or AC, and its roots ſpread, the turf is replaced,'and trodden firmly down.

he diſtance in planting has been three or four feet, according fo the expoſure. Next to wet ſoil, one of the greateſt obſtruCions to the growth of the trees, has been the ſhaking of the roots by the wind. This, when the expoſure happened to be to the ſouth-weſt, had greatly retarded the growth of many of the early plantations. To obviate this, it was thought that it might be of advantage to plant the tree obliquely, with its top to the ſouth-weſt, the quarter from which our longeſt-continued and moſt violent winds blow. This has accordingly been done, in ſeveral inſtances, with great ſucceſs: and even in one of the moſt expoſed ſituations, not a ſingle tree has been obſerved to fail. Almoſt all of them are thriving. In five years from the time of their being planted, they came all into the upright direction: and I cannot help thinking, that their ſucceſs was very much owing to the directing of the plants in the way mentioned. For if a tree is planted upright in ſuch an expoſed ſituation, the wind, making an impreſſion upon the branches and ſtem, laterally waves it backwards and forwards, and ſhakes it at the root. But if the apex is preſerited to the wind, it can receive no injury from waving, but the effe& muſt be, as it were, to drive it deeper into the earth. This being the caſe at firſt, for two or three years, the root, in that time, gets faſt hold; and when the tree, by its natural propenfſity to ſeek the upright, has at laſt gained that direction, all danger from wind-waving is over. 1 would therefore ſtrongly recommend this in all ſuch fituations as I have deſcribed, it being of great importance to find any expedient which may countera& that great enemy of trees, the ſouth-weſt wind.' By this means, you can rear an out- ward ſcreen againſt it, which refſiſts the wind, and tends very much to. the ſhelter of the interior plantations. 1 have had occaſion to contend with no other expoſure ſo much as the ſouth-weſt. But if I had to ſtruggle with any other, I would, by the ſame expedient, turn the top of the tree to that wind which was likely to injure it moſt.--1 have remarked, that, for the firſt year or two, the progreſs of trees,[0 MOE ed,,