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ed, is flow, and by no means like the vigorous ſhoots which are often ſeen in this country the very firſt ſummer after planting. This I take to be owing to ſeveral cauſes; but chiefly to the mode of planting in pits, by which the plant cannot ſend forth its roots with ſuch eaſe as when the ground is previouſly ploughed or trenched. "That, however, is an evil which cannot well be remedied, as, in moſt caſes, the places to be planted cannot be ploughed, owing to the ground being rocky and uneven; and trenching would go beyond all bounds of expence.
The forts of trees azuhich anſwer be/t.--I may ſafely ſay, that, with the exception of the Scotch fir, I have found all the various trees that have been tried ſucceed perfectly well, and many of them grow with a degree of vigour and luxuriancy that is not ex- ceeded any where in the-iſland.
The tree which, with me, grows the faſteſt, beyond all compariſon, is the larch. I meaſured many larches, this laſt autumn, planted in the year 1769, which were four feet and a half in circumference, at the height of four feet from the ground: and ſome of thoſe which were cut down in thinning, had in them about two-thirds of red wood. In 1792, Lcut down, in thinning, many which were planted in 1771: and all of them were ſold for what we call couples. Each tree, being ſawed in two, from end to end, made two rafters or half-couples, ſuſlicient for the roofing of cottages, barns, €s'c."The ſpruce of all countries, and the filver-fir, grow well with me likewiſe. The New-England pine flouriſhes, and indeed grows rapidly, in all expoſures, for 26- or 30 years, and then decays, becoming both ugly and uſeleſs. The Scotch fir uni- formly fails in all expoſed places. Thoſe Scotch firs which were planted by my grandfather, in low ſheltered ſituations, have become very valuable trees: thoſe which were planted by my father, in the high expoſed ſituations, however good or dry the ſoil, have many of them died, and none of them have thriven. On which account; his early plantations, where he truſted to the Scotch fir as nurſes, were very much re-- tarded."The foreſt-trees, of all ſorts, grow luxuriantly3 and even the oak riſes faſter than in many'other places. The beech, elm, aſh, and ſycamore,. grow rapidly. There are more of the foreſt-trees planted than will fill the ground when the fir-tribe is thinned out--indeed I believe the oaks alone, were they orily encouraged, might do ſo. The greateſt diſcovery for Scotland, in the way of planting, is the larch. It 1s now know:: to ſuit all expoſures and ſoils, and to be a very uſeful tres. The com mon people, in my neighbourhood, have got over all their prejudices againſt it, and prefer it to their old acquaintance the Scotch fir. Indeed, of all the pines, it is the moſt durable, and is equally ſuited to all uſes: for it bears wet and dry equally well; and, what is more; it bears being ſometimes wet, and ſometimes dry, better than any other tree. I have obſerved too, that it grows well and readily by the ſhedding of its feed. One of my plantations; planted in 1763, contains a conſiderable proportion of larches. There were left in it large vacant ſpaces,- to anſwer the purpoſe of ridings, and of bringing out the wood, when there ſhould be thinnings. In thoſe“ vacancies), there are many young larches, growing moſt vigorouſly: and as 1 am ſure none were planted in it, they muſt be ſelf-ſown from the ſeed of the adjacent trees: I is worthy of remark. too, that horſes have been permitted to graz2 in that planta-
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