A TREATISE UPON AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE HOT-HOUSE. C O N T A I. The Method of planting Foreft-Trees In gravelly, poor, mountainous, and heath Lands ;- aiid for railing the Plants in the Seed-Bed, previous to their being planted. II. The Method of Pruning Forcft-Trees, and how to improve Plantations that have been neglected. HI. On tlie Soils mod proper for the different Kinds of Foreft-trees. IV. The Management of Vines ; their Cultivation upon Fire-Walls and in the Hot-Houfe ; with a new Method of drefling, planting, and preparing the Ground. V. A new ani eafy Method to prc p:\gate Pine Plants, lb as to gain Half a Year I N I N O in their Growth ; with a fure Methoj of destroying die Inledl to dcflructive to Pines. VI. The beft Metliod to raife Muftiroomj without Spawn, by which die Table may be plentifully fupplied every Day in the Year. VII. An improved MedioJ of cultivating- Afparagus. VIII. The beft Method to cultivate Field C i.bbages, Carrots, and Turnips fof feeding of Cattle. IX. A new Method of managing all Kinds of Fruit-Trees,vii. of proper Soils for plants:, of pruning and drefling t!;em; with a Receipt to prevent Blights, aud cure them when blighted* BY JOHN KENNEDY, GARDENER TO SIR THOMAS GASCOIGNE, BART. THE SECOND EDITION, CORRECTED AND GREATLY ENLARGED. IN TWO VOLUMES. y o L. i, LONDON: PRINTED FOR S. HOOPER, N* 25, LUDGATB-HII.L, M DCC LXXVII. T O Sir THOMAS G ASCOIGNE, Bart, TH E fruits of my labours, . whatever they may be, be- long to you : your goodnefs and generofity have already greatly over-paid them ; yet I never durft have petitioned for your patronage and protection for thefe Sheets, which I prefume to offer to the public, but from a perfect con- viction of their utility : being fufficiently acquainted with your knowledge in my profeflion, and more fo with the rigour with which you would treat the errors of a 2 your iv D E D I C A T I O N, your own fervant when they re- garded the public. I have the honour to be, with the tttmoft refpeft and gratitude, S I R, Your dutiful fervant, JOHN KENNEDY. PREFACE. A Second Publication of this Work affords the Author the pleafing tafk of returning thanks to the Public for the favorable reception it has met with, which gives him great pleafure and fatisfadion. *He thinks himfelf obliged, in a particular manner, to thofe Gentlemen who have honored him with letters of approbation of his Work, many of whom have generoufly confeffed the fingular advantage their Pineries have received by applying his pre- paration for deftroying thofe infects fo pernicious and deftruclive to the Ananas or Pine-Apple, which it has effectually completed. Many purchafers of the firft edition of this work, as well as his friends, a 3 having vi PREFACE. having requefted him to publim his thoughts upon the Management and Pruning of Fruit-trees in general, affuring him that it would prove a valuable addition to this work. In compliance with their flattering requeft he has ventured to lay before the Public a courfe of many years practice, which he has followed with the greateft fuccefs. The many publications on Garden- ing and Planting, which have been offered of late years to the Public, might have difcouraged the Author of this Treatife from the prefent attempt ; but as moft of thofe that have fallen in his way treat the fubject in too general and fpeculative a method to be of fervice, to practitioners, his intention in the following fheets is not to deliver himfelf fyftematically, tut, in the moft explicit manner, to 5 Ia 7 PREFACE. vii lay before the Public facts that have been fuccefsfully reduced to practice by himfelf. Each particular fubject he means to treat of, he will take up from the. beginning, and to give the moft minute directions as to the method of culture, labour, and management ; together with thefeafons that each par- ticular work is to be performed The planting of poor waftes, moor- lands, and apparent barren mountains, has been but feldom treated of, and in very few places attempted. The fuccefs the Author has had in planting fuch grounds, even in the north of Scotland, has induced him to treat that fubjecl: rather largely ; and he flatters himfelf that, if his direc- tions are followed, extenfive tracts of land which are now ufelefs, may be* come ornamental and profitable. viii PREFACE, A general fyftem of Gardening not being the intention of this Treatife, the Author will confine himfelf to the management of Fruit-trees in general, of Vines, Ananas or Pine- Apple, Afparagus, and a new method of raifingMufhrooms without fpawn. His method of managing the dif- ferent Soils proper for Borders, for Planting Fruit-trees, and of Pruning them, if not the beft, has at leaft the merit of being fo new, that it differs entirely from any thing he has feen, both as to theory and practice. The management of Fruit-trees has been treated at large by moft of the eminent writers on the fubject of Gar- dening. The Author has read them with attention, and while he fees great objections to all their plans, finds lefs reafon to attach himfelf to any one 9f them, as there are hardly twp PREFACE. ix two writers of one opinion ; but it is his bufinefs to endeavour to be as accurate as poflible himfelf, and not to criticize on the defeds of others. He would not however have it un-* derftood, that by reading this treatife every perfon who can diftinguifh a peach from a pear, will be able to- undertake the management of Fruit- trees, &c. for if books could make prpfideiits, there would be no occa- fidn 1 for inafters in any art or branch whatever. Neither fliould any one attempt to plant or prune without having been fome time under a fkilful perfon y xvhofe pradical inftruclion being added to a careful obfervation of the rules here given, cannot fail of fuc- ceeding to the utmoft expectation of thofe who follow them, which is the moft ardent wilh of the Author. The X PREFACE; The directions given on thofe heads being very different from the general practice, may perhaps make fome rather diffident in following them; but the Author avers that they are what he has followed with the greateft fuccefs for many years. Agriculture being now the object of general attention, the Author has added to this Treatife the cultivation of Field-Cabbages and Carrcts., in- duced thereto by the great crops he has himfelf raifed, and the great ad- vantage they are. in feeding of cattle, &c. The growing of Turnips too is be- come an, objedl of the greateft confe- quence for feeding of Cattle ; the Au- thor, therefore, has from many accurate obfervations added a.chapter on their cultivation; his method has been fol- lowed by many who have raifed them with with the greateft fuccefs for years in different parts of England. The great wafte every year, occafioned by their rotting (and the larger they are the more they are liable to it) muft be a considerable lofs to the grower, which may be avoided in a great mea- fure by pulling and houfing them, efpecially the large ones, in dry weather, which, from repeated trials he is warranted to fay, will effeclnially preferve them. The inftrudHons given in this : Trea- tife -upon Planting, Gardening, and rural Oeconomy, are the refult of many years experience ; and the ap- probation his labours have met with is a very "ample reward to the Author. CON- CONTE NTS O F VOLUME THE FIRST. CHAP. PAGE. L The Method of f aifing Wood on Rocky, Hilly, Wafte, and Heath Lands - i II. On Sowing Tree-Seeds with Corn 34 III. On Planting Moors and Commons covered with long Heath 44 IV. On Thick Planting, and the Ma- nagement of Woods that have been neglefted 102 VI. On the Soils proper for the different Kinds of Foreft-Trees 125 VII. On American Foreft-Trees 155 VIII. On the Management of grown Woods ~ 167 IX. On Fences and their Management 182 X. On Vines 201- A TREATISE O N PLANTING AND GARDEN ING. > CHAP. I. "The Method of raijirtg wood on rocky , billy, ivajlC) and heath lands* TH E cxtenfive traces of rocky, wade, and heath lands in this kingdom, if converted into plan- tations of thriving trees, would proye a certain benefit to pofterity, as well as a pleafing reflection to thofe who are at the expence of performing fo great and good a work. To aflifl the generous planter in VOL* L A his 2 O PRAISING WOOD his patriotic defign, is the intention of this firft chapter. I (hall fuppofe the tract of country, now in view, to confift of rocky, hilly, and heath land, with little or no foil. Such unpromifing ground may be covered with wood in the follow- ing manner. THE labourers mould be provided with light ax-hoes, broad at one end and nar- row at the other. With the broad end pare off the grals or heath as thin as poffi- ble ; then with the narrow end ftir the ground to four or five inches, if you can; picking out fuch fmall (tones as are loo- feried by the hack in ftirring the ground, always avoiding large ilones ; but where thefe, or pieces of rock intervene, at three feet diiUmce from the rock make as many places round as you can, for no ground mould be loft; and although the trees are near on one fide, they will have fuf T ficient air to grow to maturity. TH i s work fhould be done in fummer, that ON WASTE LANDS 3 that the places loolened may have the ad- Vantage of the firft rains in autumn to moiften them ; for there is no planting in fuch grounds until they are moiftened af- ter {Hiring, as all rain runs off before the (urface is broke. THERE is nothing more to be done un- til the planting-feafbn, which fliould be as early as the weather will permit ; for if done late, a dry fpring would be of bad confequence, WHEN you begin to plant, take up no more trees at a time than can be planted in one day, taking care not to expofe the roots to the fun or wind. THEbeft method is to fbw and plant the trees alternately. So when you plant, the places for feed fliould he left until the (eafon for {owing in fpring. THE trees fit for planting in fuch places are, at the fummit of hills, Scotch firs and A 2 larches. 4 OF RAISING WOOD larches. This is the proper fitnation for larch, it being an inhabitant of high and cold places. A great reafon for its growing crooked, is its being planted in low foliations and good land, where it grows too fad, and is not able to flipport ks large head. THE weft, north, and north-eaft afpecls fhould be planted with Scotch fir and larch ; and towards the bottom of the hill, in the fame afpects, beech will thrive* If there are fix inches of foil, fown or planted oaks will grow very well ; and though the foil be poor, clumps of fyca- more for ornament will grow beyond ex- pectation ; as they will receive the moifturc from the higher grounds. This may be fcen. ia natural woods. THE other afpects fhoul'd be planted with beech, hornbeam, fycamore, and all the bottom with oaks : if three or four mountain aflies are planted in dif- ferent places, it will add to the beauty of the ON WASTE LANDS. 5 the plantation ; but the wood is of little value. THE common wood, or rough-leaved Elm, will grow in a very poor foil to great perfection, and may be planted next to the Beech. Theie muft be planted very thick. There are many firs and pines brought from America that thrive in poor land. Of theie there have been no large plantations made ; what have been plant- ed are for ornament, and the wood of them does not feeni to differ much from the Scotch, which we are Cure comes to a great fize in a very poor foil, and at a tliftance they have much the fame ap- pearance. The beauty of fuch plantations is only to be feen from cliftant views. The feeds of the fame fort of trees fhonld be town in every other place left vacant in planting. ^t the top, where the Scotch firs and larches are planted, there mould be no places left, as thefe trees are of a very quick growth, and the feeds of the fir kinds are fubjecl to be A 3 dc- 6 OF RAISING WOOD devoured by birds. The young plants alfo, for the firft year, are very fubjeft to be thrown out of the ground by froft. And, what is more material, they would be (mothered by thole planted, if they fhould meet with no mifchance. IN lowing, you may put fome acorns amongft the planted beech, as they are near of a growth. They will grow from ieed where they will not thrive when planted, and, penetrating into the cavities with their young fibrous roots, will find IlirRcient nouriihment where there is lit- tle appearance of a tree's growing. In natural woods we often fee fine oaks in fuch iltuatidns, and there is no doubt fuch trees were from feeds accidentally dropt. IT fliould be ob&rved, that all trees thrive better in clumps than when mixed. If mixed, they mould be with trees of an equal growth, which is feldom confkler- cd. It has been a common praclice to mix Scotch firs with oak and beech (the Scotch ON WASTE LANDS. 7 Scotch fir is of a very quick growth for ten years, the oak and beech of a ve- ry flow growth for near that time) to keep them warm and to encourage their growth. The praclice is very wrong, and quite con- trary to the prefent fyftem of thick plant- ing. If the firs are planted at fix feet diftance, with an oak between, they will finother the oaks in a few years ; and if taken away fooner, they do not anfwer the end they were planted for. . If the oaks are planted alone at three feet di- ftance, they will thrive much better, for they fuffer more from the cold when the firs are taken away, than any advantage they can receive from their warmth while they remain. When the firs are taken away your oaks fland at fix feet diftance, which is too much, as the intention of planting thick is fruftrated, which is to prevent pruning and to keep the trees warm, both which are of the greateft com iequence to plantations on poor land. WHERE there is ib much rock, and in- A 4 deed 8 OF RAISING WOOD deed no appearance of earth, there is no poflibility of ftirring the earth with a hack ; yet we muft not deipair of railing trees and (hrubs, which is evident to be leen in natural woods where trees and (hurbs are feemingly growing out of the ftone. No art can pretend to plant in fuch places ; but nature (hews us what (lie can do, and by following her dictates we may accomplifh what has been thought im- poffible. IN all rocks there are openings and ca- vities, and by the moifture falling from the higher parts of the rock into the bou torn of the openings, there is fufficient nourifhment to vegetate feeds ; and when they are once in a growing ilate, the young roots will find cavities and open- ings to pufh into, and alib nourifliment fufficient to make a tree, bufh, or flirub. It cannot be fo certain to get trees and ftirubs to grow in rocks as in earth; but it may be depended on that many will grow, and to a great ilze. The only me-, thod is to drop feeds into the cavities. ON WASTE LANDS. 9 THE bed feafbn for dropping feeds into rocks is as fbon as they are full ripe and dry ; but there are fb many mice and other vermin about fuch places in winter, not overftocked with provifion, that they de- ftroy every thing within their reach. To remedy this as much as poffible, the feeds may be fo prepared as to be fbwn or drop- ped in March with good fucceis. THE preparation of the feeds for drop- ping amongft rocks, and fbwing planta- tions on all kinds of poor land, will be treated of under that head. IN order to drop the feeds amongft rocks, let a man take a few of the follow- ing feeds, and drop three or four of a kind into each cavity, obferving to drop the larger feeds into the deepeft cavities, fuch as acorns, beech-matt, hornbeam, evergreen oaks, yews, mountain afh, hollies, haws ; and, into the lefler open- ings, broom, juniper, furze, birch, and wood elm. THESE places mould be gone over the following fpring, as there are many acci- dents to prevent the growing of the feeds. There will be no occafion to have any re- gard to drop the fame forts of feeds into the holes as they were dropped the fpring before ; for if both grow, it will be of no bad confequence, as we often fee two trees of different kinds growing in natu- ral woods on bare rocks. IT may feem ridiculous to drop feeds into rocks ; but it is evident, that many fine trees are growing in fuch places, and Jt muft have been occafioned from feed accidentally dropping. This is no more than following nature, and fhe has taught us what is to' be clone to cover fiich places as have been left naked and difagreeable. IT may 'be objected, that there are ma- ny trees in natural woods, on rocks, that produce feed, and yet there are many bare places on the fame rocks. But it may be remarked, that many of the feed falling ON WASTE LANDS. it falling into one cavity may intice vermin to deftroy the whole, and many places where none fall. The fmall quantity that is dropped into each place is no great temptation to vermin, and the regular dropping prevents any being milled. I MUST here be understood asfpeaking of fuch places where there is very little earth, and of bare rocks where there ap-i pears to be no earth, and where it feems almoft impoflible for any thing to grow, and where the fpade could be of no fer- vice. But I am certain, if the directions given are followed, a fine foretl will (uc- ceed a barren mountain, which will be a great pleafure to the prefent pofleflbr, a profit to pofterity, and an advantage to the kingdom in general. HAVING given directions for planting the barren mountain where there is little foil, I fhall now take into confideration gravelly hills, heaths, and commons, where there is fo much earth that little holes may be made to plant and fow in. 12 OF RAISING WOOD MAKE the holes at three feet cliftance as deep as the foil will allow, and one foot broad, if the ground is not very ftony at top. The readieft method is to pare off the fiirface with a paring fpade ; but if (tony, the broad end of the ax-hole will be the belt. If grafs, pare it off as thin as poflible, lay it afide, dig out the earth, and lay the pared furface into the bottom, laying in the earth in the form of 'a mole- hill, to remain until the (eafon for plant- ing and fowing. This work fliould be performed early in fummer for the rains to moilten the earth, which is always very dry when turned up, and there is no dan- ger of weeds growing on fuch land. The arth being laid up round will have more advantage of being mellowed by the wea~ ther ; and when the planting feafon comes, there is nothing to do but to level the ground even with the furface and plant. A MAN can make three hundred holes in a day, and two men may plant a thou- fand, and do them well. IF ON WASTE LANDS. 13 IF the furface be coarfe, benty grafs or fliort heath, \vhich is often the cafe in flich poor land, pare it off with the hoe as thin as poffible, and throw it away. The paring fpade mould not be ufed, as it takes too much of the (canty foil : for in flich dry ground any thing that is light keeps it open, and is of very bad confe- queiice by making the ground lighter and drier. THE holes being laid in this pofition, will be in good condition to plant after the firft autumn rains, for moft kinds of deciduous trees. They mould be planted as foon as the leaf is decayed. They may be planted in open weather the begin- ning of winter, but never in the fpring on fuch dry ground. OAK and larch are an exception to the general rule ; for although they are deci- duous plants, their proper time of plant- ing is late in fpring. OAK 14 OF RAISING WOOD OAK thrives beft when it is removed in the fpring, juft before the bud begin? to pufli ; that is, about the beginning of March. This fliould always be oblerved in the removing of them that have been trained in the nurfery for four or five years, as in a great meafure fuccefs de- pends on their being removed at a pro- per time. I have planted oaks of fix and eight feet high, the latter end of April with good fuccels, but it was into a fine ftrong loamy foil. TH E young plants of oaks that are in- tended for bare ground fliould be planted at the fame time with the trees from the nurfery; but if there is the appearance of a dry fpring, they muft be planted before the ground is diy, or they will infallibly perifti. As it is beft to plant 'all kinds of trees by themfelves, it can be no inconvenience to leave the ground defigned for oaks un- til the proper feafbn. This wilt be an ad- van- ON WASTE LANDS. 15 vantage ; as the other forts of trees (hould be planted fooner, there will be more time to finifti planting. IF there are any (mall crooked oaks in the nurfery, and feemingly good for little, prune their (terns, and plant them by themielves ; and after they have been planted two years, in any of the winter months cut them down an inch below the ground, and they will make fine flraight (hoots next fummer. In the latter end of June, or beginning of July, let them be gone through, and all the {hoots but one of the ftraighteft and (trongeft be lliped off with the finger and thumb, doling the earth round the remaining plant ; they will come eafily off at that feafon, but if they (land much longer, we ihall be in danger of tearing the bark off the (tool, which would fpoil the tree. There muft be no knife made ufe of ; for if cut, they will pufli many (hoots at every imputation, which would much injure the trees, as they muft be cut again, and bv i6 OF RAISING WOOD by that means will form a bunch round the root of the tree, which would be very detrimental, if not wholely deftroy it. It will be neceflary the next fummer to go over them at the fame feafon, and ftrip off anyfmall flioots that may have fprung, after which no further care will be want- ed. This is foreign to what I propofed treating of; but I have feen fuch oak plants thrown away as good for nothing. I have planted fuch, and treated them as here directed, and have had a clump of fine trees, flraighter and finer than thole planted with their heads. It is my opi- nion, that all planted oaks which do not. thrive, if they were cut down as above, would make fiue trees. I have done fo with fbme, and they anfwered very well. TH E larch, although a deciduous tree, fliould never be planted in winter, and in mofl autumns it is too late before it lofes its leaf. The beft feafon then is the be- ginning of March, both for large and imall trees. They mould be planted juft before ON WASTE LANDS; 17 before the buds begin to pufli. It is a refinous tree, although not an evergreen, and has fmall fibrous roots like all kinds of firs and pines, whole roots fhoti Id never be cut, unlcfs they have been long out of the ground. o NONE of thole trees flioukl be planted when the wind is high, nor when the air is frofly ; their ftrong roots being hard and brittle : the fmall roots, if dried by froft or wind, never recover, and it is from thole fmall roots the tree is firft put in a growing ftate ; this often occasions the lois of the tree, as the large roots are ib hard, that they feldom pufh until the tree is growing. Young larches have on- ly fmall roots, and require no cutting if planted foon after taken up. If the fmall roots are dried, it is of bad confequence, and is the reafoii they fo often milcarry when kept long out of the ground. All kinds of refinous plants fhould have their roots wrapped in wet mols, if they are to be carried to any diftance. VOL. I. B ALL a3 OF RAISING WOOD ALL kinds of pines and firs fliould be planted early in autumn or in die fpring ; the latter is preferable, as early in autumn the ground is generally too dry, and after the rains have fallen, it will be too late, as the frofls may be expected fbon ; and fliould they be very fevere, it will throw the young trees out of the ground. TH E Scotch firs are an exception to the general rule, for they may be planted with (afety from September to April; but in poor land that is hard and dry, it would be of great fervice to put fome grafs, ftub- ble, or any light (luff round them, to keep out the froft, as they are fubjeft to be thrown out of the ground as the other kinds. IT fliould be obferved, that firs ought never to be planted in fuch dry ground, as here treated of, when very dry ; nei- ther fliould they be planted when the ground is very wet. Two days after rain, it will be in good condition, that is, in O N W A S T E L A N D S. 19 In high ground ; but there are fome very poor lands that areYo flat, that the wa- ter has no way to run off. Such places fliould be planted in fpring. ALTHOUGH the ground in general be very poor, yet in thole places where the water lies, it is richer, and generally of a (Irongifh loam, although (hallow, and a clayey bottom. If the water can be drained off, fb that the ground remains only wettifh, and not to fland to cover the furface, oak will thrive well in (uch places, and grow fatter than in any other ground. I have had them (hoot three feet in one year, being the lecond after planting, and very flraight and ftrong. although the whole ground was feveral times covered with water the firft winter after being planted. WHEN fuch places are planted, the holes muft not be made but as you plant; for if the holes were to be made as before directed, the bottoms would be full of B a water, 20 OF RAISING WOOD water, the tree would (land in a quag- mire, and it would be impoffible to fatten it. If the tree is planted fix inches above the level of the furface, it will be better, and the ground made up, round die tree, in the form of a round-topp'd mum- room. IN thefe places we muft deviate from the general rule for planting poor land. The trees planted here mufl be flich as iiave been trained in the nuriery for four or five years, and of a pretty good growth. The reafbn is, that the fmall fibres of young trees are eafily rooted ; therefore, fuch trees as are planted in this ground, muft have all their fmall roots pruned off. The ftrong roots will bear the moiflure, and pufli frefh roots fooner than in any other ground. It will be abfolutely ne- ceflary to plant fuch places in fpring, and it may be performed ten days later than in any other grounds, for there will be fufficient moiflure for them all the fum- mer. THERE ON WAST ELANDS. 21 THERE muft be no places left for (ow- ing here ; for the moifture would rot the feeds. Spruce-fir, and the fwamp-pine will thrive well in (uch places ; and the plane tree will grow, if there is a foot deep of foil. Every one of the poplar kind will do very well ; but I think they ftiould all give place to the oak, which will thrive to admiration. POPLARS of all kinds have come into great efleem of late years, being found very fit for every fort of country bufinefs. Several gentlemen have made chamber- floors of them, which anfwer very well ; but they will not be of long duration. i As wood is fcarce in many places, a fmall place might be allotted for a planta- tion of poplars ; and as they are of a quick growth, they will come to ufe in a few years, and lave better wood. They will grow in any land that is not very hard and dry ; but as the intention of planting them is, that they may foon become pro- B 3 fita- OF RAISING WOOD fitable, it is advifeable to plant them in a fwampy rich foil. TH E beft method to propagate them is to cut them into truncheons of a yard long, and with an iron bar let them into the ground level with the furface, fatten- ing the ground round them. They will pufh out many (hoots the following fum^ mer, which mould be all pulled off by the hand die end of June, or foon in Ju- ly ; only one of the flraighteft and ftrong- eft fhould be left to grow to a tree. There will be more (hoots puflied out in the fuHitner, which mould alfo be pulled off as before (for they are very fubjecl: to pufli out fuckers) after which they require no further care ; for if they are planted at fix feet diftance; they will prune them- felves, and grow very ftraight, and to a great fize in thirty years, SOME (harpen them like a flake, and drive them down with a mallet, but that is not a good method ; for if in driving, they ON WASTE LANDS. 23 they are fcratched by ftones or roots, the bark decays on that ficle, and often caufes a blemim in the tree, after It has grown leveral years. When the bark is not broke, they pufli roots all along the truncheon to the very furf ace, and make much finer trees than thole planted with roots ; nei- ther are they fubjecl to be blown up, which the others are. IN plantations where under-wood Is defigned, Ibme clumps of poplars will an- fwer extremely well ; if the ground is in- clined to wet, they will be fit for cutting- much fooner than any other wood ; therer fore they fiiould be kept by themlelves. TH E fowing tree-feeds by the plow has been fome time in practice, and is cer- tainly a good Icheme ; but to uie the plow in poor gravelly land, that is covered with (hort heath, and has never been in tillage, will anfwer no end ; or if the field or common be rough with coarfe grafs, and little foil, it will coft ten times B 4 the *4 OF RAISING WOOD the expence to bring it into order for (owing or planting, than making the holes for planting as before directed ; and the trees will thrive much better than when the coarfe grafs and heath are plowed in, imlefs the ground is worked until they are quite rotten, which would require a good deal of labour and expence to no pur- pole. WHERE there is poor land, that has growed corn for fome years, and is designed for planting, plowing will be of great u(e, and a very profitable way of working it ; the field may, at a fmall expence, be put into good condition, which will promote the growth, fuccour and encourage the trees for many years, even until their own foliage becomes a manure to them ; and a crop of under- wood my be expected. PLOW the ground in autumn immedi- ately as fbon as the corn is off, and let it ly all the winter to mellow ; plow it again in ON WASTE LANDS. 25 in the fpring, as fbon as the ground is in condition ; and a third plowing is nece fary in order to fbw turnip or rape feed, which fhould be fbwn as early as pol- fible, and very thick. When it is grown ilufh, that is, juft before the plants begin tofhoot (for they will all (hoot that are thus fbwn (b early and thick) feed them off with iheep ; as fbon as they have ate them quite bare, plow the ground a fourth time ; and if many weeds fhould grow, which is hardly to be expected in poor gravelly land, plow it again juft before winter. When it is dry, let it ly all the winter rough until fpring. THE middle of April is the proper time for lowing the prepared feeds ; but if they are fbwn without any preparation, they fhould be fbwn the beginning of March. Early in the Spring there is al- ways a great hurry of bufinefs ; it will, therefore, be a great relief to have a week more to perform the fame work. ; and, befldcs other advantages, this is .a very i6 very eflential one for preferring the pre- pared feed. JUST before you intend to fbw, plow and harrow the ground ; and if the field is (b large as to take feveral days work, plow no more than you can finifh in a day. THE ground being plowed and har- rowed, mix beech-maft, afli-keys (the afh-keys fhould be buried a year in a pit, mixed with fifted coal-aflies, as they never come up the firft year) fycamore, horn- beam, common black cherries, Spanifli chefhut, maple, and acorns, and fow them broad-cafi all over the field ; then plow the field with a very mallow fur* row three inches, and fcatter fbme birch and rough -leaved elm-feed alj qver it. TH E proper timber-trees for fuch land, with underwood, are oak, beech, and Spanifli chefnuts, which are all much of a growth ; ON WASTE LANDS. vj a growth ; and although this is not the proper foil for the oak, it will anfwer veiy well when fbwn. Notwithflanding there are all thofe kinds of feeds fown in the broad-caft way, and covered by the plow, it would not be amils, at thirty feet diftance, to plant tliree of the timber- tree feeds in a triangle of fix inches di- ftance, and then there will be a certainty of having the trees, which are to grow to timber, at a regular diftance (which might be marked as the labour would not be much) and room for the underwood to grow fo as never to be over-topp'd by the timber-trees. The whole mould then have a fingle ftroke with a bufh-harrow. IF any large weeds, fuch as thirties, docks, or wild muftard, fhould grow, they mould be pulled by the hand when young ; as for fmall weeds, they will be of fervice in winter, to prevent the frofts throwing the feedlings out of the ground, and will not grow in fummer to be any ways detrimental to the plants ; befides, they 28 OF RAISING WOOD they will keep out the drought, which will be of great ule in fuch ground. i TH E trees defigned for timber fliould have nothing of the tree kind grow nearer them at firft than three feet ; and the third year after ibwing, there fliould be only one plant left in a place. THE whole ground fhould be gone over the third year, and all the plants that are for underwood, and nearer than a foot, (liould be drawn up, and the ground fattened round the remaining plants. As there will be a number of young plants drawn, they fhould be planted in a 'nurfery prepared for them in tolerable good land, and trained for Come years to plant in good ground. ALL kinds of firs and pines mufl not have any place where underwood is in- tended ; if allowed to grow fcattered about the field, they fpread a vafl way, and O N W A S T E L A N D S. 29 and by the clofenefs of their branches will deftroy every thing under them ; and if they are cut down after they are grown to a conficlerable fize, they make a large gap. TH i s is the only method to get under- wood in poor gravelly land. It will be long after fowing, before it is fit for ufe j but after it has been cut the firft time, it will grow better every cutting, and laft many years. GROUND thus managed with the plow would make a fine wood, fown after the following manner. Make the holes at three feet diftance ; put three or four feeds in a hole, at four inches diftance, in form of a fquare. To the weft, north- weft, north, north-eaft, and eaft, make a fkirt- ing of Scotch firs, ,and another of larches in the fame afpecls ; then beech, Spanifh chefnuts, and acorns. The feedlings may grow to the feconcl year, when they fliould be drawn, except two of the beft plants. Then the third year, the beft ftiould be left, and the others taken away. 30 OF RAISING WOOD THERE mud neither be fpade nor fork uled in taking up the fupernumerary trees; for if the roots of the trees that are to re- main are difturbed, it will greatly hinder their growth. If a proper feaibn is ob- ferved, they will draw eafily. After a very hard froft, when the ground is tho- roughly thawed, they will draw with the hand. When the plants are all drawn, fallen the ground round the plant that remains, with your foot. The plants taken up in this, and all (own plantations on poor land, niuft be carried to the nur- (ery. A POOR cold clay, that has been in corn, and is of no great value for that purpole, will anfwer to make a plantation with underwood. It will not be very vi- gorous for fbme years ; but after the roots have got good hold of the ground, it will (hoot in fad, and laft many years. OAK is the only timber-tree to be en- couraged in fuch a foil. Its progrefs will be ON WASTE LANDS. 11 be flow, but it makes fine wood. The acorns fhould be fbwn four in a place, at fix inches diftance from each other ; and the places fhould not be nearer than thir- ty feet, to allow room for the under-wood. ASH, poplars of all kinds, tree fallow, and birch are the proper underwood to be planted and fown in fuch land. The poplars and fallows, for planting in clay, fhould be cut eighteen inches long. As the clay is hard and dry, there will be little moiflure to encourage their ftriking roots at a greater depth, therefore they fhould be let down, as before diredled, in making plantations of them. THE ground fhould be plowed early in autumn, as deep as the plow can go, with a thin furrow, and ly all winter to mellow. TH E poplars and fallows may be plant- ed any time in winter, and the feeds fbwn in the middle of April. This land mufl not; O F R A I S I N G W O O D not be plowed in the fpring, as it would be too at firft. be too ftiff for the feeds to vegetate in TH E acorns being planted at their pro- per diftances, as alfb the fallows and po- plars, let aQi, birch, and rough-leaved elm-feed be fbwn all over the field, and covered with a fingle ftroke of a bufh- harrow. THE poplars and willows fliould be planted at eight feet diitance ; but none of them (hould be planted nearer the acorns that are to remain for timber-trees, than ten feet. IN fuch g plantation it would be very beneficial to prune the oaks for ten years, which would make them have fine flraight flems, and be of great value. Being plant- ed at fb great a diftance, there would not be a great number in a large field, and the labour and expence would be trifling. Where underwood is intended, the tim- ber ON WASTE LANDS. 33 ber-trees mould never be nearer, for if they are, they will in a few years quite {mother the under-wood, fo as to render it of little value. THERE is another advantage in pruning the Oaks ; their (terns being long, and their heads fmall, the under-wood will thrive all around them as near as it mould be allowed to grow j which will not be the cafe if they are not" pruned : they wilt then have fhort flems and very large heads, and will deftroy the under-wood for thirty feet round them. IN countries fcarce of firing, and where poles and rails are wanted, under-wood will pay the proprietor triple more value than the beft fields of corn, even allowing for the expences of planting, fencing', and the rent of the land from its being planted to the firft cutting, after which there is no labour but keeping up the fences ; fo that the profit will increafe, and the Oaks for timber fUll remain a great eflate to fucceeding generations. VOL, I. C CHAP, 34 O N S O W I CHAP. II. i > On Solving Tree-Seeds with Corn. OWING tree-feeds amongft corn is an exceeding good method, for it pre- vents the vermin deftroying the trees as they come out of the ground ; moft trees rring up the feed with the firfl leaf, and' all birds are fond of them, and often deftroy whole fields as they come up. This method fhould not be attempted on fields that have been in grafs, but fuch as have been in corn for fome time. IF it were rich deep land, it would be a very good method to have a crop of under- wood ; but bare poor land is our prefent fubject, therefore I fhall give proper direc- tions for raifmg a field of good timber- trees on fuch land. THE: TREE-SEEDS. 35 ^THE ground fhould be plowed in au- tumn, and early in the fpring Town with a thin crop of oats. If the feeds are dry, and not prepared, they fhould be fown at the fame time j but if prepared feeds are ufed, which are much preferable, the middle of April is the proper feafon. THE large feeds may be planted with a,- fetting-ftick, not too fharp at the point, at three feet diftance, three or four feeds in a place, at four inches apart and two inches deep. THE rough-leaved Elm, Larches, Scotch Firs, Silver and Spruce Firs, and Pinafters muftnot be planted with the fetting-ftick, but the ground hollowed out half an inch, and three or four feeds dropped into each place at four inches diitance, and prefled a little down with the hand, then covered with mould level. THE proper feeds to be (own, even iii poof land, amongft corn, are Oak, Beech* G 2, Black 36 O N S O W I N G Black Cherry, Spanifh Chefnut, Horn-- beam, Silver and Spruce Firs, the Scotch-- Fir, Larches, and Pinafter ; and, if the ground is inclined to fand, Sycamore,, Horfe Chefimt, and Limes may alfo be planted. - ALTHOUGH the ground is not the pro- pereft for all the trees here mentioned, the growing corn is of fo great fervice to them,, that they will thrive beyond all expecta- tion. THERE mould be no tree-feeds fown where the furface is not quite rotten. If any gentleman choofes to be at the ex- pence of paring and burning fields or com- mons that are in grafs or fhort heath, let him fow it with turnips, and let them be eat off with fheep early in autumn, then plow it as deep as the foil will allow as foon as it is clear of the turnips. In the fpring fow it with a thin crop of oats, and with the tree-feeds at the proper feafon ; March 6 T RE E-S E E D S. 37 'March for the dry feeds, and the middle of April if they are prepared. IF the ground is free from large "ftones and tolerably even, fo as to be eafily plowed, the expence will not be great, efpecially if the feafon anfwers, the turnips will repay the expences ; there can be no expectations .of a great crop from fuch poor land. It is for the advantage of the tree-feeds that I .recommend this method of working, ALL the Pine and Fir kinds of Trees d much better fown amongfl corn than any .other way; and indeed it is the beft method of fowing them, for theilubble is very beneficial to them, as it prevents, in a great meafure, the froft throwing them out of the ground, which all forts of Firs and Pines are fubjecl: to when fown other- wife. ALL the different kinds of trees fliould fee fown feparate : the afpeh from the C 3 Jimthr- 3 S ON SOWING fouth-eaft to the fouth-weft ihould be (own nrft. A fkirting of Scotch Firs, forty feet broad, mould be {own if the plantation is large ; then another of Larches of the fame breadth ; and if all the other forts were fown in the fame form, the different ma Jes would add greatly to its beauty. THE reafoti for {owing the Scotch Firs find Larches to the weft, north, and eaft points is, that as they are very hardy, ,and quick growers, they will be a great melter to the ether trees, and keep them from, tfye cold winds that blow from thofe quarters, which often bends them and makes them grow crooked. WHEN the oats are cut, the labourers fhould be particularly careful not to tread on the trees. The oats fhould be cut high to prevent the feedling-plants from being topt ; and the long ftubble will keep the trees warm all the winter. The oats mould be carried off the field by men i , S E E D - T R E E S. 39 .as foon as they are cut, for it will be im- poffible to bring carts or horfes into the field without deftroying many of the young plants. TREES (own amongft corn will grow more the year they are fown, than they will any other way in two, and be very ftraight. I have had Oaks grow eight inches from the feed in one year in very poor land. UNLESS there are thirties, or fuch ftrong-growing weeds (which mould be pulled up by the hand when? young) there will be no occailon to hoe or clean in fuch grounds, for the flubble and fmall weeds wili be of great feryice to keep out froft and drought, which is of great importance to the young trees on fuch dry ground. THE young plants mould be thinned the fccond and third years, as directed in the .other fown plantations ; after which they C 4 will 40 O N S O W I N G will require no further trouble for many years. IT may be imagined that fawn trees left at three feet diftan.ee would be fo thick as never to grow to timber ; in tolerably good foil it would be improper, but in poor gravelly and fandy land they grow very flow for feveral years, and never begin to make any great progrefs until they ihelter and keep one another warm ; they alfo grow much differ and ibronger in the ftem, and their fide-branches do not extend near fo faft as in good land ; therefore their be- ing {own thick is a very great advantage, and the only method to make them thrive. THERE is nothing further to be done until the plantation becomes quite a thicket, then every other tree muft be fhib-felle.d, and they will be fit for many ufes. THE trees to be taken away (as they will not be drawn weak on fuch ground) may T R E E - S E E D S. 4* * .may feem very good plants for tranfplant- ing ; but that muft not be attempted, as it will be impoffible to take them up with any thing like a root for planting, without greatly hurting the roots of the trees that are to remain on the ground ; it would greatly retard their growth, and the trees .taken up would have little chance of growing, being taken out of fo clofe a iituation ; and it would be impoffible to avoid cutting thefe roots very mort, as the trees are only three feet diftance, with their roots fpreading all over the ground. ALJL the plantations here treated of muit be thinned in the fame manner when they are grown up ; then the trees will ftand at fix feet diftance, which will be fufficient room for them to grow to timber. Aftet ibme trees are taken away, and the re- maining ones are at fix feet diftance, their fide-branches will flill near meet, and be fufficiently warm ; and they will decay as the trees advance in height, and by. their clofenefs will prune themfelves. IT 42 ON SOWING Ix wltt. be a great temptation to lovers of trees and planting, who have planta- tions going on, to thin their fbwn planta- tions. When the trees are about fix feet high they are then of a proper frze and age, and would be very fit for tranfplant- ing into any ground that is tolerably good ; but then, the plantations they were taken from being on poor land, they would never thrive, but Hunt and grow crooked bumes, as may be feen in natural woods on poor ground. Where the trees are thin they make no progrefs, whereas where they are very thick in the fame wood and on the fame foil they are very ftraight and tall ; for which reafon no temptation muft pre- vail to thin them at that age. WHERE under- wood is of great value, and where there have been large planta- tions made on poor land, when they come to be about fix teen feet high, if there was a hundred yards cut clean off by the ground, then a clump of trees to (land of the fame , and fo on all over the plantation, this Would SEED-TREES. 43 svould be profitable to the prefent proprie- tor and advantageous to the country ; and as the trees ftand in large clumps they will thrive very well, and the under-wood will grow very fad after the firft cutting. C II A P, ON P :L A N T I N -Q CHAP. Ill, Planting Moors and Commons covered *wi}h long Heath. THERE are large hills, moors, and commons covered with long heath ; fuch places are of more value than is ge- nerally imagined. The heath which grows .on them plainly mews the ground is fertile, and if they had been planted fome years fince would have been fine forefts, and not one fprig of heath to be feen. It is the beft foil for planting in England, and will bring trees to as great perfection as our beft land, and with fmall expence. THIS foil, in appearance, is a light, black peat earth ; but it is of a far fuperior nature, for on that black, loofe, mofly earth grows little heath, only a ftrong benty grafs, and a little foft mofly earth below the grafs, then a hard kind of peat ? which VIGORS AND COMMONS. 45 which is very barren ; whereas that on which long heath grows is of a great depth, and of a fine moift clammy nature. On this foil moft of all the kinds of foreft-trees* known in England will grow, even all the kinds of poplars, which mews that it is of a very fine moift nature. THE planting or fowing in fuch ground is much eafier performed than in the beft land : there is nothing further requifite than to pull up -the heath about a foot's breadth, and if you low with the large tree-feeds, fuch as Acorns, Spanim Chef- nuts, or Beech-Marl, they may be planted with the fetting-ftick (as the pulling up of the heath has loofened the ground fuffi- ently) twa inches deep; four or five feeds in a hole, three inches apart. WHERE the fmaller feeds are fovvn, fuch as the Silver and Spruce Fir, the Scotch Fir, the Pinafler, Weymouth Pine, and Larch Tree, after the heath is pulled up, chop the ground with a fpade, and drop-" four 4$ ON PLANTING four or five feeds into the place, at three or four inches diftance, then gently tread- it with the foot ; and nothing further is required in fowing on ground where long heath grows. SUCH ground requires lefs labour to*' plant than any other : there is no occafion to make the holes until they are juft going to be planted, and they need not be any larger than juft to receive the tree roots/ THE heath is of great advantage to the young trees,- and makes them thrive ex- ceedingly if it is higher than the trees planted, which I would advife. If the heath is eighteen inches or two feet high, the trees fhould be a foot or thereabouts-; the heath will then keep them warm, and will protect them from all winds until they have got good roots ; fo there will be no occafion to plant fo thick as on thai poor bare land. MOORS AND COMMONS. 4? Six feet will be a proper difbnce ; the trees will grow very faft, and by the time they have got a foot or two above the heath their branches will near meet, and as the trees advance the heath will decay. The trees growing clofer will prune them- felves, and there will be no further care requifite. IF the ground is a fiat moor, it mould be planted to the weft, northern^ and eaft aspects with Scotch Firs and Larches,- as before directed upon poor land, for fhelter. ,!F a hill or riling ground, which is generally the cafe, the higheft ground to the weft and north mould alfo be planted with Scotch Firs and Larches, to fhelter the other trees from the north winds ; but the plantation of the N m mould be fmall, as it would be bad policy to ufe much of this ground for any trees but the Oak, which thrive in fuchfoil better than in any other. 4* ONPLANTI N G I F fuch rifing ground is in fight of a gentleman's houfe, there may be fome clumps of the different kinds of Firs and Pines planted for ornament, as they are very beautiful at a diftance in the winter. The Silver and Spruce Firs will grow to air knmenfe height in fuch foil.- ALTHOUGH I have given directions for fowing and planting the different kinds of foreft-trees on fuch ground, it is to mew that it may be planted and foww with fuch where gentlemen are inclined fo to do ; but as the Oak is by much the finefr. and moft valuable wood, it mould have the preference, efpecially on ground fo proper for its growth. I MADE three different plantations a- mongft long heath (where the ground an- fwered the defcription given) in the fame year. The firfl was fown with Acorns and Scotch Fir-feed ; the lecond was planted with feedling Oaks a foot high, two years Id,- and Scotch Firs from the feed-bed of M O OR S AND COMMONS. 49- that year's fowing, but were thinned to two inches in the feed-bed, and were fine ftifF plants ; the third was planted with feed- ling oaks, three years old (eighteen inches high) but had not been removed from the feed-bed. The heath was near two feet High and very ftrong. IN thefirft, fbwn with Acorns' and Scotch- Fir-feed, many of them came up very well; but the mice, which were very plentiful amongft the heath, deftroyed many of the acorns, fo that many of the holes were quite empty, and many had only one tree. Next winter many of the young (hoots of the Oaks were cropped- by the hares. They were to make good for three years before all the holes were full, which was a good deal of trouble and expence. THE growth of the plantation was very irregular; the Firs in fome places fpread- ing over the Oaks, and where they had been fbwn the laft time, to make up the deficiencies, not ib high as the heath. VOL. I. I> 50 ON PLANTING' THE young moots of the Oaks were weak, being drawn, but very ftraight,. and when- they got above the heath they were (lender for fome years. So that I think planting good young plants is better than fowing acorns in fuch ground. THE heath had no bad effect: upon the fown Firs, they grew faft and ftrong, and there were few of them deftroyed by the mice ; there were many to take away, and thofe plants were much better than thofe fown in feed-beds according to the o common method, and fit to plant in any ground; therefore if a- plantation of them were intended and fown alone, they would anfwer fulL as well as planting attiongft> heath. WHERE the feedling Oaks and Firs were fown together, the Firs did not get the better of them for fome years, but their fide-branches at lafl fpread fo, that it be- came abfolutely neceflary to take them away. The whole were accordingly taken - away,-, MOORS AND COMMONS. p away, and replaced with Oaks of fixteen inches high (two years old) from the feed- 1 bed. They all throve very well, and a few years after the plantation was pretty equal, only the planted Oaks were ftirTer than the fown, and not fo tall. No Firs fhould be fown nor planted with Oaks, let the ground be good or bad* IN the fecond plantation, both Oaks and Firs did very well ; but in fix years the fide-branches of the Firs over-topp'd the Oaks ; and the feventh year there was a neceffity of taking all the Firs away, which was done, and Oaks of three feet high, that had been removed from the feed-bed into the nurfery two years, planted in the room of the Firs* THEY all grew very well, but the firft- p'lanted oaks were the fined trees ten years after, which is a good reafon for making all plantations for timber of fmall trees ; for unlefs it be for pleafure, where large trees are planted for ornamenting pleafure D 2 grounds, 5 2 ON PLANTING grounds, without any regard to timber^ th6 fmall-planted trees will in time make the fineft woods, and in lefs time than thofe that are planted large. THE third plantation, planted with Oaks only, of three years old, eighteen inches high, and had never been removed from the feed-bed, grew extraordinaay well, and was the fineft of all the three. There was no further trouble with it.- THE heath decays as the tree advances in height ; and as they grow thick, the under-branches decay, and they have in general fine ftraight ilems. THERE was on the fame hill I.pla'nted on a plantation of Scotch Firs, which had been planted fixty years. At the time the Firs were planted, fuch high grounds were thought to be fit for no other kind of wood. They were fine trees and many of them were cut for ufe : the wood was MOORS AND COMMONS. 53 was pretty good, but not come to its full growth. There was not one fprig of heath on all the ground the Firs were planted on, and if it had been any other kind of wood but Firs, there would have been good .feeding for cattle and;ilieep, and good meiter. ALTHOUGH, in aM plantations where fowing the feeds is recommended, I "have given directions for lowing all the kinds of Fir and Pine-feeds, yet the fowing them on the place they are to remain in, on poor ground, is not the befl method (unlefs arnongft corn or long heath) as they are fo apt to be thrown out of the ground, efpecially on poor land, where they grow very little the firft year, and are very fmall ; and the ground being naturally very loofe, they are froze in winter below the roots, and many of them thrown out of the ground, and fome of them are raifed fo as to ftand like a fpider, with a very Imall part of their roots in the earth. P 3 THOSE 54 ON PLANTING THOSE that ftand fo will grow, but their being raifed fo retards their growth much, and they look red and moot little until their roots have got hold, which will not be for a year or two. A little foft mofs fpread over the holes when they are fown is of great ufe to prevent the froft's penetrating the ground below the feed- ling's roots ; but that is attended with fome inconveniency, for it muft be at leaft an inch thick, or it will be of no fervice ; and then it encourages grubs and other vermin to lodge utider it, and they very often deftroy the young plants as they come out of the ground. The heft method for all the Fir kinds is to fow them and plant them from the feed-bed. THE compoft for the feed-beds, and the method of fo wing and managing them, fo as to make them fit for planting out the firft year, will be fully explained under the article of fowing all kinds of tree- feeds. MOORS AND COMMONS. 55 IF there was any mofs fpread over the holes and places where the Fir and Pine- feeds were Town, it muft not be removed when -the fupernurnerary trees are taken up, unlefs the ftem of the plant that is to >.ftand be earthed up to the top ; for it will be very tender by growing through ^Ehe mofs, and would be in great danger -of perifhing by the cold winds in fpring. Earthing up -the ftem is more advantageous -to the tree, and will greatly encourage its growth, but will be attended with a good ,deal of labour, as the ground fhould be a foot level round the plant. If the mofs be -left, the ftem will harden as the mofs ^decays, and the plant will thrive very well. THE difference between planting and rfowing Firs is trifling, for both in rocky and poor land the holes and places are made the fame for planting as fowing ; and it will take very near as much time to fovf a hole as^ to plant a {ingle tree into it; ?.ud the advantage is very great in favoi a* P 4 of 5.6 ON PLAN TING of planting, for the many reafons before given. A MAN may, with care, plant four hun- dred in a day, where the holes are made, and do them well. As they are planted, it would be of great lervice to them to lay fome long grafs, heath, or mofs round each ; it will not be much trouble, as the parings which come off when the holes were made will be near at hand. It will keep out the drought in fummer, and pre- vent the froft from loofening the mould in winter ; for altjiough the frofl is not fo detrimental to the planted tree as to the leedling plants, the tree will thrive much better when the mould is not fo light about it. FIRS and Pines are in general planted all the winter months, efpecially the Scotch Fir, and very often with good fuccefs ; yet it is not the bed: method in poor ground, for the reafons before given. Early in autumn is the beft feaion for planting them 6 in MOORS AND COMMONS. 57 in hard dry ground, provided the holes were made early and had fome rain. IT is the nature of the Fir to pufh roots immediately after they are planted, if the weather is free from frofr. for fome time. It will be a great advantage to trees of any kind to be well fettled on dry grounds before winter, but there is none of them that get frefh roots but the Fir kinds. Firs may be planted to the end of April, but at that feafon they (hould not be long ,out c-f the ground. WHERE there are large plantations of Scotch Firs that come to maturity, they H)cai feed in great plenty when about thirty years old. If there is any wafte ground joining the Fir wood that is covered with .heath four or five inches long, if it was iiiclofed, and kept from cattle and Iheep, in a few years it would be very full of .fine young plants, and will ferve for a nurfery for feveral years, and flill there .may be fufficient trees left to grow into a wood. 58 ON PLANTING WHEN the trees are grown to eight and ten feet high, the young plants that fpring yearly will not be fit for planting, as they will be drawn weak : and although fome of them mould be $irT fhort plants, they will be in danger of periming when taken out of fuch clofe places. So if there are many of thefe trees wanted, it will be the eafieit way of propagating them to take up yearly all the young trees that are fit, until there is a fufficiency got ; then they may be allowed to grow into a thick wood without any further care ; and as they grow fit for ufe may be thinned as wanted. THERE will be a great many to cut out, but there is no need of thinning them to any regularity or fet diftance, for the thicker they grow they make the finer wood. A great many will be over-topp ? d and /decay, but that is not minded in countries where thofe woods all grow from ielf- fowing, and are the fmeft timber. IF MOORS AND COMMONS. 59 IF the heath adjoining the Fir wood be long, when inclofed it will anfwer to make a wood, but will be of very little life as a nurfery, as the length of the heath will draw up the trees weak, and they will be void of branches on the fides until they are grown above the heath, fo will have long weak ftems, and will not be fit to plant. They may be allowed to grow from the firft coming up ; they will grow very faft, and foon be fit for ufe. BUT fuch grounds as produce long heath, may be better employed than with Fir-trees, as has been treated of in planting ground covered with long heath. I have heard of fowing Fir-feeds broad-cafl amongft heath, as corn, without any fur- ther trouble, and that it hasfucceeded very well. THIS is fomewhat fimilar to what has been juft now treated of, and I make no doubt the hint has been taken from that, V pr by feeing the feeds of trees come up iu the 6o the grounds at a diftance from the trees lhat bear feed. BUT there is ,a great difference between .ground around, and even at a diftance from,, feed-bearing trees being full of young- plants, and fowing in ground where there Js no fupply. Round a feed-bearing Jree there will be plenty of young -trees if .cattle are kept off; and where there are vacancies it may be replenished next year. WHEREAS the feed that is fown at random there muft many perifh, and many more be deftroyed by vermin ; and as there is no fpupply, there may be many places empty ; and as there is not the advantage of trees full of feed to make up the deficiencies, fb there mufk be a want, if not made good by fowing frefh feeds, which would be trour blefome and expensive, as perhaps there would need repairs for years ; fb that the expences will be greater than following the directions given for fowing Fir-feecls a- mongft long heath, which is Jittle trouble, and fo eafy that it may be performed by any labourer at a very fmall expehce. MOORS AJTD COMMONS. 6t A LITTLE quantity of feed will fbw a great deal of ground. One man will fow and make the places for feveral hundreds rn a- day ; and there is almoft a certainty of fuccefs : and what is more advantageous, if four or five good feeds are put into each place (as directed for fowmg Fir-feeds amongft long heath) at three inches diftance,- there is a probability of having three or four good plants to {pare in each hole for making more plantations. WHAT has been faid of the fuccefs of the inclofed wafte has been done frequently. There are many objections againft fowing the feeds at random. It were to be wifhed that fome public-fpirited gentleman would try the experiment, not only with the Fir, but feveral other kinds of tree-feeds - T it would be a great advantage if it an- fwered. THE preparation of tree-feeds is of greats advantage, as it will in a great meafure prevent their being defboyed by vermin, which 62 ON PLANTING which is one principal objection for not fowing all the poor land inftead of plant- ing; for fown feeds grow mueh better than planted trees, efpecially the larger forts. THE befl feafon for fowing all kinds of Acorns, Beech-matt, Chefhuts, &c. would be the autumn, as foon as they are quite dry, were it not that they have to lay all winter in the ground before they vegetate ^ and the mice, who are very dextrous in finding them, will often deftroy a great part of them ; and frequently what they do not eat they will collect from 1 different places into holes of their own making, leaving many places in the field without a feed, as I have often found to my great difappointment. To prevent as much as poffible thefe inconveniencies, the prepared feeds, with equal fuccefs, are fown late in the fpring, and are a very little time in the ground before they come up, and after they have begun MOORS AND COMMONS. 63 begun to vegetate, the mice are not fa fond of them. THERE is alfo another great misfortune that tree-feeds fown in autumn are liable to, that is, if there mould come a few weeks of fine weather in the end of Janu- ary or the beginning of February, it will caufe the feeds to come up early, before the hard frofts are over, which is the de* ftru&ion of many of the young plants, and fometimes of the whole. THIS does not, however, often happen, as there is feldom fuch fine weather at that feafon ; but it is a misfortune feeds- fown in autumn are rather liable to, which the prepared feeds prevent, the dangerbeing. over before they are fown. THE fmall birds are great enemies to all the tree-feeds that are fmall, the Fir and Pine kinds in particular, and which bring up the feed with the firll leaf; but as there are few of them on uncultivated heaths and 64 ON PLANTING and commons, where there are no trees,- they may eafily be deftroyed. THE crows are the mod mifchievo-us, and will deftroy a large plantation in a fhort time ; for as foon as they find a field- er common, ibwn with tree-feeds, they will root with their bills, and fcratch with their feet, until they get at the feed, al- though two inches deep in the ground, efpecially Acorns and Beech-mall:, which they are very fond of. THE beft method I could ever find was to (hoot ibm-e of them, pnll oft fome of the feathers, fcatter them about, open the crop, put fome gunpowder on the infide, and drop the carcafes about the field : this will frighten them for fome time* and as the prepared feeds are foon out of the ground, it will be a great means to fave them from thofe enemies, who are not fo fond of them after fprouting. THE feeds of Acorns, Beech-maft, and' all MOORS AND COMMONS. 63 all kinds of nuts fhould be kept in dry land all winter, in a place that is not damp, for the dampnefs would make them moot too early in the fpring for fowing ; nor in a place where there is any heat, for that would make them pine, but in a dry airy place. The Sycamore, rough-leafed Elm^ and all the kinds of Firs and Pines, mould be kept dry without any fand. THE rough-leafed Elm is generally fowri as foon as dry after it is ripe, which fre- quently comes up the fame feafon, but fometimes not till next fpring, and theri for the moft part fo early, / that many of them are cut off by the frofh If this often happens to them in warm nurferies, they would ftand a great chance of being all deftroyed if fbwn in fields or commons of poor land, as it is fo late in the feafon before the Elm-feed is ripe ; for even thofe that come up would be fo fmall and weak that they would be all thrown out of the ground, and thofe that did not come up would perim by wet and cold. VOL, L E Bvt 6 ON PLANTING Btrr if the feeds are thoroughly and kept from damp, they would do very well to be prepared and fown in fpring, at the fame time the other tree-feeds are, xvhich is of great ufe, far they are very fit for many places on poor land, grow much better from the feed than when planted, and is a profitable good wood. THE preparation of tree-feeds, fb as to have them vegetate before they are fown, is what has never been praclifed nor knoWn, and is of the greateft ufe to fave the feeds from vermin and frofr. in fpring, and from being injured by the froth in the winter following. As to the fowing feeds in fpring, that has already been fhewn, and as they have all the advantages of thole fown in au- tumn, and liable to none of their difafters* it is a great improvement; for as the fevere frofts in fpring are over before they are- fown, and they, by being prepared, are near as forward as if they had been fown MOORS AND COMMONS. 67 in autumn, they have time to grow to a good fize, and to have their roots well fixed in the ground, and are not liable to be thrown out of the ground by froft the next t winter. THE preparing and vegetating tree- feeds before they are fown is only following nature ; for the feeds that are blown by the wind from the trees into different places, thofe that grow are laid up by chance in fecurity, and vegetate by the warmth and moifture of the places they lay in fooner than any that are fown in the common way in the fpring, although Ibwn as early as the weather will allow ; and it is only doing what is every year practifed, although it has never been thought of. HAWTHORN and Holly-berries are bu- ried in autumn as fbon as they are pulled, and lay a year, and then are fit to be fown. The pulp of thofe berries is hard and dry, and takes a long time to rot, and until E 2 that 65 ON PLANTING that is quite rotten there can be no vege- tation ; and if no art is ufed they take a year ; but as foon as they are pulled, if they were mixed with frefh grains, and turned over every three or four days for one month, and then lay all winter covered, fo that no frorr. can come at them, and turned over fometimes to prevent moul- dinefs, which would deftroy them, they may then be fown in the fpring with the fame fuccefs as if they had been buried a whole year. THE only danger in having tree-feeds fprouted before they are (own, is having their fprouts rubbed off in fowing ; but of this, unleis the perfons employed are ex- traordinarily heedlefs, there is no danger. THE proper time for fowing Hawthorn and Holly-berries, that have been buried a. year, is the beginning of March ; but by the hurry of other fpring bufmefs, it may be fometimes the middle of April before they can be fown; by that time they are MOORS AND COMMONS. 69 are fprouted a good length. I never found it any detriment to their growing, for it has happened to me feveral times. I MENTION the Hawthorn, as every one is acquainted with the nature of its management, and knows it will grow very well when fprouted before fown. If the tree-feeds are managed as directed, they will not be fo much fprouted as the Haw- thorns, and fo will not be in any danger, but will anfwer every thing that has been faid of them, for there is nothing advanced but what I have practifed often with good fuccefs. THIS method prevents many of the mif* chances that fowing tree-feeds are liable to; for as feeds fown on hills, commons, and fields, ought to be done with great care, fo it would be very troublefome to have the whole to go over for a year or two to make up deficiencies ; befides the irregula- rity in their growth. E 2 THE 7 o ON PLANTING THE competition for preparing the feeds to vegetate is foft pit land (fharp land will not anfwer) andfrefh grains from the brew- houfe ; the fand mould be got in fummer, and made very dry, and laid by until wanted ; the grains muft be frefh from, the brewhoufe, but muft be fpread, turned, and dried until they are juft of a clammy moifture ; then they mould be mixed with dry fand in equal parts, until there is a fufficiency for the quantity of feed to be prepared. AFTER the fand and grains are mixed, they muit be rubbed between the hands, and laid in a heap for four days, then, turned over every day for a week, then let them lay four days in the heap ; and if then there is no mouldinefs, but a fine clammy moiflure, it is fit for ufe ; but if there is the leaft appearance of mould, it muit be turned twice a day for three days, and then lay four days more ; and if then there is no mould it may be ufed without danger, for here is nothing that MOORS AND COMMONS. 71 {hat can be of the leaft hurt but the moul- jdinefs. WHEN the composition is ready, have fome boxes of different fizes, according to the quantity of ieeds ; if the quantities fmall, garden-pots will do as well. FOR the large feeds, fuch as Acorns, B.eech-maft, &c. lay an inch of the com- pofition at the bottom of the box or pot, then a layer of feeds; fill up all the vacan- cies quite level, then a layer of feeds; and fo on till the whole be finifhed. The Fiir feeds may be mixed with the hand and laid in the box, firft laying half an inch of the compolition in all the boxes or pots you lay feeds in. THE Elm-feed, Sycamore, or any other fmall foft feeds, fhould be rubbed between the hands with the compofition, and fb laid into the box, laying half an inch of the fame fluff over all the tops of the pots or boxes, and place them in a dry place, E 4 where PLANTING where no wet can come at them, and if it were where they could have the benefit of the fun it would be better, but if that cannot be conveniently done, they will 4o very w r cll without : if they have the fun, the boxes or pots fhould be turned every week, that each fide may haye the fama advantage, THE large feeds, fuch as Chefnuts, Acorns, &c. fhould be put into the com- pofition the middle of February ; the Fir and Pine-feeds, the beginning of March ; and the Elm and fuch other foft feeds, the middle of March : they will all be ready for fowing the middle of April. Great care muff be taken to keep them from wet and mice ; the wet would caufe them to mould and entirely fpoil them, and if mice were to get into the boxes they would de-^ ilroy the feeds in a fhort time. IF the holes were made before winter, as has been directed, they will be in fine order for fowing the middle of April ; and MOORS AND COMMONS. 73 as at that feafon the fun has great force^ and the holes being moifl and mellow, the feeds will be above ground in a little time, WHEN the feeds are to be taken from the pots and boxes, great care muft be taken not to rub off the fprouts. The beft way to carry them into the field for fbw- ing is in little boxes with a handle ; and as a fmall quantity will fow a great deal of ground, there mould not be too many taken out at a time ; and it will be necef-. fary to take fome of the competition in the box with the feeds, to prevent the young moots being hurt by the fun and air, which, would greatly damage them. THIS work mould never be done when the wind is high, nor when the air is frofty j a calm dull day is the beft ; but if the fun mines, if not frpfty, it will do very well. IF f the heath, fields, or commons are planted ?4 ON PLANTING planted or fown alternately^ the planting being before finished, there is only the holes left to be fown, which fhould be the fame fort as the trees planted -, for J would advife by all means to keep the trees jn feparate clumps, THE Chefnuts and all the other feeds may be planted with a fetting-ftick, ivhich (hould be a little thicker than the feeds to be planted, that there may be fome loofe mould lay round the feed ; and it ihould not be fmall at the point, as that would caufe a vacancy between the feed and the bottom of the hole. The holes mould be made two inches deep, and the feed dropped into them : there mould be four feeds planted in every place, at three inches diftance from each other. All the holes, after the feeds are dropped in^ mould be filled with loofe mould. FOR the fmaller feeds, fuch as the Pines, Firs, Elms, and other fmall foft feeds, there mould be four places made with -the MOORS 4ND COMMONS. 75 hand, half an inch deep, a feed dropped into each, and covered level with loofe mould. A man may perform a great dea^ of this work in a day, and there is not th lead doubt of fuccefs,. THE propagation of trees to plant tq, poor ground has never been made a dif- ferent article from raifmg trees in general; but it is very different, and very eafy. In raifmg trees^ they are moved from the feed-bed, the roo^s dreffed, and planted in the nurfery, that the tap-root may be <^eftroyed and made fit for moving, that the roots may fpread horizontally, and not go top deep into the ground; but in poor land they are to be planted from the feed- bed, and the tap-root is to be preferved, (which feems a contradiction) for it is on its length and ftrength that the chief part depends ; for without it there will be little hope of fuccefs in planting on poor gravel, in heaths, commons, and rocky places, where there is little earth. PREPARE 76 ON PLANTING PREPARE fome beds of good earth, and! add to them a large quantity of fand ; let them be well worked over three or four times, fo that the mould and fand be well mixed a foot deep at leafV. It would be befl to do this in the beginning of winter ; and let them lay all the winter in fmall ridges, that the froft may mellow them, and that the fand and the mould may be well incorporated. Early in the fpring dig them over and lay them flat; then, juft before you intend to fow them, dig them over again. This feerns a great deal of labour, but the fuccefs of the plantations, planted from trees here raifed, will make it all well ^eflowed. AT the fame time there mould be a good heap of the fame fort of mould and land that the beds are made of, as near as can be to them ; and, if it can be had, a third part of black mould^ from old woods, where (licks and leaves have rotted for fome time, which mould be all well mixed, and turned over feveral times tq mellow. MOORS ANI? COMMONS. 77 THIS is to cover the feed-beds after they are fown ; for taking the mould out of the alleys to cover the beds (as is the common method) is not right ; for it is fo trod in fowing the feeds, that it is difficult to break it to cover the feed ; befides it makes the alleys fo deep that the fides of the beds moulder down, and many of the trees are loft, at leaft they ftand fo dry that they make no progrefs. THE beds being ready, they mould be fown with the prepared feeds the middle of April, as they are the propereft, being forwarded in their growth by being vege- tated before they are fown, fo will be fine plants in autumn, when they are to be planted in the fields where they are to re- main. THE feeds may be brought in the boxes or pots they were laid in. The fmall feeds may be fown all over the beds, com- pofition and feeds .together, but not too thick, and covered half an inch with the mould 7$ ON PLANTING mould that was thrown in a heap for that purpofe. THE large feeds, fuch as Acorns, Chef- nuts, &c. may be taken out of the boxes, and placed on the bed with the hand, at three inches diftance, and covered with the fame mould as the others, two inches thick: they will require no further trouble, but to keep them clear of weeds until they are taken up for planting. As the feeds were prepared, there mould none be fown but what have fprouted, that there may be no vacancies in the beds, if the mice can be kept away. As loon as the fmall-feeded plants are come into the third leaf, they muft not be fuffered to ftand nearer to one another than three inches, that they may grow ftrong and ftif, and have a free air in the feed-bed, which is of great utility to them when they change their quarters to a poor cold heath or common. MOORS AND COMMONS. 79 THE reafon of their growing to the third leaf 1 before they are thinned, is that they may be of ufe, and by (landing a year in the beds they are planted in, will be as Mt for planting in poor land as thofe in the feed-beds. It may be imagined that a that age they will be too fmall and tetider, and will not bear tranfplanting ; but they will, and grow very well, if carefully planted. IF there is occaiion for more trees thaii can ftand in the feed-beds, they mould be planted ; and there is this advantage, that as they muft ftand another year in the beds they are planted in, before they will be fit to remove into the commons where they are to remain for good, fo that there will be a proviuon of trees for two years, equally good, from the fame fowing ; but if they are not planted, they mud be pulled out of the feed- bed, for there they muft not ftand clofer than three inches. IF the young -plants, thinned frotti amongft So amongft thofe fown, are intended to be faved, there muft be fome fpare beds, the fame as the feeds were fown in ; and the evening before the feed- beds are to be thinned, they mould be well watered, tor make thofe that are to be drawn come up eafy. There will be fome that will break in drawing, but that muft not be regarded; for it would be quite wrong to loofen them, as it would damage the plants that ftand in the bed more than the value of thofe that will be broke/ DRAW only a few at a time, make a hole with a fetting-ftick, and let theni down the whole length of their fmgle ftraight root (for at that age they have no fibres) and clofe the earth gently to them, for their ftems are very tender, GREAT care mull: be taken to let down their root ftraight its full length, or they will not be fit for planting on poor land ; but will anfwer very well for plantations on tolerable good land. AFTEK MOORS AND COMMONS. Sr AFTER they are planted they mould have a little water every other day for eight or ten days, but they muft have very little at firft ; for as their ftems are tender much water would rot them. If the weather is clear, they fhould be (haded for three or four days, and then they require no fur- ther trouble. 1 have had very good fuccefs feveral years in this very way, and never allowed feedlings to grow too thick in the feed-bed, which is frequently pra&ifed: the bad confequence attending fuch ma- nagement is too obvious to want any ex- planation. THER.E is one thing I cannot omit taking notice of. It is the general opinion that all trees mould be raifed on a ground fimilar to that they are intended to be planted in ; this is certainly wrong ; and I dare fay that moil:, if not all, the nurfery-men in England will join in the fame opinion. THE whole of what has been treated of VOL. I. F is 82 ON PLANTING is planting on poor land, on which it is very certain a wood may be railed both by planting and lowing ; but it would be an odd attempt to make a nurfery to tranf- plant from on fuch ground. The feeds, when fown in fuch places, find nourifh- ment for their fmall roots to fupply their little heads, whofe progrefs is flow until they gather ftrength, and when they get to three and four feet high, their own warm- nefs makes them grow fafter than could be expected ; and in the holes that are fown, the plants that are to fpare in them are not fit for planting in fuoh ground ; they have little heads and fmall fibrous tufty roots, and would be all thrown out of the ground in winter, at leaft fo loofened as never to make a tree. IF, an animal was to be only half fed, from its firft having life, for one year, I believe that fuch an animal uould never grow to be of a largo lizc of its kind, if afterwards it was put into better keeping; but fuppofe it was put to harder fare ; I believe MOORS AND COMMONS. 83 believe it would make a poor figure. If this fame animal had been moderately fed for one year, and then put it into worfe feeding, it would have been a better beaft. THUS it is with trees ; if they are fbwn in fuch poor hard dry land, they are hide- bound from the beginning, and it would be fome years before they would recover, were they tranfplanted into good ground. What then muft be their cafe when trant- planted into the fame fort of ground, per- haps into a colder fituation ? I HAVE been longer on this point than I intended, becaufe it is often recom- mended that the nurfery be as near as poflible to the ground the trees are to be planted in. ALL public nurferies in the kingdom, that are of fame, are on fine light good land ; and many years experience fhews that all kinds of trees and plants bought from them thrive very well, although for F * the 8 4 ON PLANTING the moft part planted in much worfe ground than where they were raifed. IT would not be right to raife trees for planting in poor land on ground made very rich with dung ; but it would be much worfe to pretend to raife them on a very poor foil. If the beds for fowing the feeds are made as here directed, they will produce fine plants for the purpofe, and there will be no doubt of their fuccefs when planted in the very worft ground. THE management and fowing the feeds, as alfo the raifing of the trees, for planting- poor land, are all fully explained. WE now proceed to the planting, which maybe either alternate, or wholly detached. I would recommend alternate planting and lowing, unlefs where it is otherwife directed ; that is, all the Fir and Pine kinds mould be all fown or all planted ; but planting them is much the befr, as it is almoft impoilible to fave the young feed ling MOORS AND COMMONS. 85 leedling plants from being hove out of the ground on poor land in winter ; fo it would be better, to let the Firs, Pines, and Larches be two years old before they are planted, but they muft not be moved from the feed-bed, but thinned as before di- re dted. THEIR roots are frnall and tufty, and eafily managed, and may be fpread about when planted without cutting any of them, which will caufe them to get good hold of the ground, and be in no danger of being thrown out of the ground by froft. ALL the deciduous trees, but the Oak and Larch (which are much better to plant in fpring) may be planted from the decay of the leaf, in any of the winter months when the weather is mild, to the latter end of February, after which it \vill not be proper to plant in poor land and in hard dry ground; for if the fpring mould prove dry, which it often does, thofe F 3 planted 86 ON PLANTING planted later would be in great danger of being loft. ALL the trees muft be planted from the feed-bed of the fame year's growth ; but thofe that were thinned from the feed-beds and planted cut, will be fo much retarded by being moved, that they will not be fit for planting till the fucceeding winter. Thofe that were fown in the feed-bed, and not planted out the firft winter, their tap* roots will become fo ftrong and ftubborn, that, they will be difficult to manage in planting ; and on the tap-roots being pro- perly difpofed depends the fuccefs of plant" ing in poor land. IF there are any left that may not have been wanted, or that there is not time to plant, they mufl not be left for another year, but mufr. be taken up, have their roots dreiTed^ and planted in the nurfery in the common method, to make, other plantations in good land ; for there hould none be planted in poor ground, but from fhe feed-bed of that year's {owing. MOORS AND COMMONS. 87 THE planting in poor land is quite dif- ferent from planting where there is plenty, or even a moderate quantity, of foil ; for where there is fo little as two or three inches, if the roots are planted lower than that, there is nothing for them to flrike into but gravel or rock, where it is im- poffible for them to thrive. THE holes being made as before directed, make them flat at top, and if they are two or three inches higher than the ground, fo much the better ; for they will link down level with the other ground in a little time, as their being higher is only from the earth's being ftirr.ed. TAKE up the trees from the feed-bed carefully, taking great care to break none of their roots, and take no more up than can be planted in a day ; lay them in a flat baiket with fome mofs over their roots, and carry them into the field or common where, they are to be planted. F 4 OPEN 88 ON PLANTING OPEN the hole five or fix inches length- ways, which may be done by only finking the fpade into the middle of the hole after it is flattened at top, which will be the length of the tap-roots if they have throve well. Lay in the root two or three inches deep, as the ground will permit, at its whole length, horizontally, and then raife up the plant at the neck, in the fame manner as in the planting of trees ; fatten the earth to the plant, keeping its- top upright ; after the plant is fattened, loofcn the top of the ground with the fpade, this prevents it from cracking, and is of great fervice ; for if the top of the ground be left hard, two or three dry days make it open as deep as the roots, and dries them, and fo ruins the whole plan- tation. IN light ground, where trees are railed, they will have but very few roots but the tap-root, and that is the realon that it is made fo light to prevent fhort tufty roots : they will be full of fmall fibres, none of which MOORS AND COMMONS. 89 which fhould be cut off, and particular care mould be taken to keep them from fun and wind, which would foon dry them, to the great detriment of the plant, for it is from them the tree begins to ftrike roots : as they are very final 1, they are very foon dried by either fun or wind. If it mould happen by any accident they are, cut them off one inch diflant from the tap-root ; but it will be more beneficial to the tree if there is no occafion for any of thefe amputations. THE laying the roots at their whole length horizontally prevents the roots from ever attempting to run down into the gravel, which they would, if planted in any other method, and this is the reafon that plantations on gravelly and rocky grounds have hitherto made fo little progref?. THIS method of planting on poor land is entirely new, and as it is ib differ ,t from all kinds of planting hitherto tifcd, 90 ON PLANTING tifed, it may feem very wrong, as dreflmg and curring the roots are the firil: things recommended by all that have given di- rections about planting. But let thofe who have fuch ground to plant, only fol- low the directions given with accuracy, and they will find them anfwer beyond their expectation. THE laying the roots horizontally pre- vents the trees from being raifed out of the ground by froft ; and as the roots will, by this method, run juft below the furface, they will have all the advantages it is poffible for them to have in fuch mallow grounds ; and this is the reafon that trees raifed on poor loil are not fit to plant again in the fame fort of foil, as their roots are ihort, and feldom have a tap-root. IT would be advifeable to plant fb that the bend at the neck of the tree be always againft the fun ; for if the tap-root be very ftrong, and there being no great depth of earth to make it fall:, it may throw the top MOORS AND COMMONS. 91 top of the tree afide; if it does (which feldom will happen if properly planted) the fun will draw it ftraight ; but if the hend was to the fun, and happen not to be upright, the tree would never be frraight. Were it not for that reafon, it would be indifferent how the trees were placed. THERE mould be two men employed in planting ; one to open the ground, and the other to put in the tree, as it would be a great lofs of time to lay down the fpade fb often : they mould have a little box or bafltet with a handle, into which they mould put a few trees at a time, with a little mofs over their roots ; this will be very handy, as the man that plants mutt ufe both his hands in planting. This work mould never be performed when the wind is high, nor when the air is frofly. THERE is another method of planting peer land that is either in fhort grafs or #iort heath, which is very expeditious, and alfo $(2 ON PLANTING alfo very advantageous, for it effectually prevents the drought from penetrating in fummer, and the froft from hurting the roots in winter. Two men will plant five or fix hundred in a day with eaie. This fort of planting mould be done in winter when the ground is full of wet ; the bell feafon is after a -deep fnow is gone off with a fudden thaw; and at that time little work can be done in any other grounds, as they will be too wet to plant in. THE trees are to be railed and managed in the fame manner in every relpectas the other trees for planting on poor lands, with all the precautions concerning their roots. A man with a fpade makes a nick a little longer than the root of the tree in the grafs or heath, two or three inches deep, as the ground will allow, laying in the roots at the whole length horizontally, prefling the ground clofe with the foot, and with the fpade nicks the ground crofs and crofs all round the plant : this prevents the nick from opening, which, without that MOORS AND COMMONS. 93 that precaution, it would be very apt to $p in lummer when the weather is very dry ; it alfo prevents the wet from running off, which it does where there is a defcent, and the grafs is not nicked. IF the ground is very fhallow and not rocky, this is the beft method of planting; but if the ground is very ftony, it is not practicable, as the fcones would render it very troublefome to make the nicks, which interruption would often happen in the middle, fo as to prevent the roots from be- ing laid horizontally or ftraight. THE trees for fuch plantations, thar. have not their roots drefied, mould never be brought a great diitance, for it will be impoffible to prevent their fmall fibrous roots from drying, if they are kept long out of the ground ; but if we cannot avoid bringing them from fome diftance, they muil be carefully taken up and packed in wet mofs : they will do very well for five or fix days ; but if they lie much longer, their 94. ON PLANTING their fmall roots will begin to mould, and muft be cut off before they are planted, or their mouldinefs will deftroy the large roots. If they come packed in mofs, they fhould not be unpacked, but taken out as they are wanted, and planted as foon as poffible. IT has been a common practice to fend to the north for feedling-trees, where they are bought at a very cheap rate for plant- ing out in poor land. In general the fuc- cefs has been bad, and there are macjy good reafons for its being fo. BY chance there may be tolerably good fuccefs, but it is a very bad practice ; for thele trees are fown asthickas they can grow, fo that they have no free air, and by their clofenefs and their own warmth the/ are drawn up weak, and their flems are very tender, like a plant that is earthed up to blanch. This is eafily to be difcovered by obferving the lower part of the ftem, which is of a languid green for want of air, and the MOORS AND COMMONS. 95 the top quite of another colour where the air had a free paflage. WHEN trees, thus raifed are taken from their clofe warm iituation, and expofed fmgly to all weathers in poor cold ground, or in any ground, many of them will perim, although ever fo carefully planted ; and as all their roots mull be drelTed (as they will be either mouldy or very dry) they have none of the advantages of thofe feedlings raifed according to the directions before given. Thofe ftems are ftifF and ftrong, for as they were not allowed to grow nearer than three or four inches in the feed-bed, the air paffes freely amongft them, and their ftems are as hard as if they had been planted out three or four years, which is of great fervice when they are planted in the fields. IT is impoffible that trees raifed in the manner here directed can be fold fo cheap as thofe that grow fo thick as to be pulled up by handfuls from the feed-beds. But 6 it 9 6 ON PLANTING it will be more to the purchafer's advantage to give ten Shillings a thoufand for trees thus raifed, than to give one Shilling for thofe that are fown and grow fo thick ; there is more than that difference to the nurferyman, as twenty will grow in the thick feed-bed for one in thofe that are properly managed. THERE are many thoufands of Scotch Firs fold in and near London, and many other places in the country, that are brought many miles, and are fome months out of the ground ; thefe are fown in the leed-bed as thick as grafs. Befides the other difadvantages they have in common with other foreft- trees, as Oak, Beech, &c. they are very fubject to be rotted in their item even to the ground ; and although they appear green at top, and the fmali roots they have are frefh, they decay and go off as foon as planted out and expofed to the air. IF anyfuch trees arepurchafed, thebeft 5 m ethod MOORS AND COMMONS. 97 method to manage them would be to drefs their roots, and plant them in the nuriery at fix inches diilance, and in a year or two thofe that grow will be good plants ; but as many of them will decay, it would be troubiefome and very expensive to have them to go over for a year or two to make good the deficiencies, if they were at firll! planted in a large common* THIS is mentioned by way of caution, as fome gentlemen may think they have made a good purchafe by getting fo many thoufand trees for ib fmall a fum, much leis than the expence of railing them would be ; but thole that make iiich bargains will find to their great diiappointment they have paid very clear, and- had better have got good plants, if they had paid a much greater price. WHAT has been treated of is only for the railing of trees to plant out the firfl year, from the feed-bed, into poor barren ground, and is different from the manage- Voi/. I. G mcnt 98 ON PLANTING ment of railing trees to be tranfplanted from the feed-bed into the nurfery, to be trained for fome years to make plantations on different kinds of ground, where there is a fufficient depth of earth to make holes. SUCH trees need not be thinned to fb great a diftance in the feed-bed as thofe for planting poor land, as they mould be taken from the feed-bed and have their roots drefled, and planted in rows at a fmall difbnce, to ftand a few years, and then to be removed again and drefled top and bottom, and planted at a greater diftance, where they may remain until they are taken to plant in the fields to make plantations to grow for timber. IT is a great advantage for all kinds of feedling-trees to be fo thin in the feed-bed that the air may pals freely amongft them in the fummer j they do not grow fo tall, but there will be very few of them but will grow, and be much better when re- moved. MOORS AND COMMONS. 99 THERE are many gentlemen who are at the expence of trenching in all kinds of ground intended for planting. If it is a poor mallow foil it is wrong, becaufe the gravel muft be thrown up or there can be no trench, and the little mould there is will be loft, and nothing left for the trees to ftrike roots in but gravel, mixed with a fmall quantity of earth, fo finall that it will not be vifible in a dry fummer : they ftand but a poor chance to grow. If the trees were planted according to the direc- tions before given, without trenching, they would thrive much better than it is poflible for them to do in the trenched gravel. IF the ground be clay, and a fmall quan- tity of earth at top, it is of very bad confe- quence to trench; for to make even a very mallow trench there muft be a good deal of clay thrown up. If the earth be mixed with the clay it will be loft ; if laid in the bottom, it is turned down lower than trees mould be planted in fuch ground, or the trench muft be fo fhallow as to be next to G 2 no too ON PLANTING no trench ; therefore the trees in that cafer will be planted in ckan clay, and will languish many years before they reach the good ground laid in the bottom in trench- ing, and often fo as never to recover, which I have frequently feen. To plant in clay,- where the foil is very mallow, the fama method fhould be followed as planting in- poor gravel. IF the ground is good, trenching Is at- tende-d with a great expence to no purpofe ; for if the trees are fmail or large, if the holes are made fix inches wider than the roots all round, for the young roots to ftrike into, they will grow as well as if the whole had been trenched, as the trees growing on rocks where there is very little (and what there is very hard) fully demonftrate ; for the roots twift and twine round the ftones^ and penetrate the earth between them y which is extremely hard ; as alib by tree roots going down into hard clay, which fully mews there is no occaiion to trench for timber-trees^ 6 BESIDES: MOORS AND COMMONS. 101 BESIDES the trenching there is another expence faved. Good land, when trenched, plowed, or dug, grows full of flrong weeds, and muft be kept clean, or they will greatly impoverifh the ground ; and this will require to he performed for fomc years. I HAVE here deviated from what I pnr- pofed, but as I have feen plantations made at a great expence by trenching, in all the different kinds of foil here mentioned, I have planted on all the fame forts of foils -according to the di regions here given, with better fuccefs and at a fmall expence. G 3 CHAP, ;oi ON THICK PLANTING CHAP. IV. > On thick Planting, and the Management of Woods that have been neglected. THICK planting has been recom- mended and pracliied many years ; but the method of dreffing and thinning is very feldom properly performed. The prejudices againft pruning are fo great, that we frequently fee thickets of fmall drawn-up trees of immenfe height, with- gut a poflibility of ever having good boles. FOR the advantage of thofe gentlemen that have fuch thickets within a poflibility of recovery, that is, from fix years old to twenty, the following directions will be of uie for making fine trees of what, in a few years, would be paft redemption, IF a plantation has been planted five or fix years, and planted at three., four, five, PV O F W O O D S. 103 or fix feet diftance (for the diftance mould be according to the goodnefs of the ground) and this neglected ever iince planting, we mall find, if the trees have throve anything like, they will all be mere thickets. IT will not be proper to remove any trees to plant in another place from fuch a thicket directly, for as they have been long fp very clofe, and have had no free air, :hey will be very unfit to remove, becaufe their ftems will be very tender. FIRST, let all the large branches be cut off clofe to the bole, and all the other parts of the tree be drefled according to the directions for pruning : let this be ione for two years, and then every other 'ree may be removed with fafety, and flanted again. The pruning of the trees left in the old plantation mufl be con- tiiued until the trees have got fufficient Je.igth of bole. THE trees that were removed, if they G 4 were 104 ON THICK PLANTING were carried without earth, will want little this year ; but if they had balls there will be little difference, and they muft be treated accordingly, and they will frill make fine trees. IF the plantation has been planted ten or twelve years, and has had no care taken of it all that time, if the ground be good they will be very tall and imall,.aud never will be fit for planting, for they would be io tall and (lender, that they would neve' be able to Hand the wind, nor iuppojt their own heads. WEAK trees taken from clofe thickets feldom make good trees ; for befides then being tall, they have few fide-branches, ani fhoot (if they grow) ib fait at top as to b f . rnoftly crooked, IF under-wood is of value, Inch thickets are very fit to make a good wood of Mat kind, but it mufl be done with cautioi: ; for as the trees are tall and" fmall, and w fdc- O F W O O D S. 105 fide-branchcs but juft at the top, they would be very liable to be much toffed and hurt by the wind if thinned too much ;it firft ; beiides, if they are expofed to the free air all at once, many of them will be in danger of perifhing, for they are very tender by being fo many years without a free air paffing amongft them. IF fuch thickets are defigned for timber- trees only, and were planted at three feet diftance at firft, let all the large branches of the trees be cut off the firft year, and none the next year. STUB up every other tree, and mark the trees that are to ftand, and let them be pruned and drefled according to the direc- tions for pruning. The other trees that are to be taken up, fbould have the long branches cut oft" and ftand till next winter, and then ftubbed : by this method the trees will have the free air admitted amongft: {hem gradually; and if they are afterwards pruned 106 ON THICK PLANTING pruned regularly, in a few years they will thrive and be fine trees. IF under- wood and timber is defigned, and that the under-wood is to remain, the timber-trees mould be marked, and all the trees round them have all their fide-branches lhagged orT a foot long, fo as to give air and harden the tree that is toftand, which fhould have all the ftrong branches cut off clofe to the ftem. NEXT winter all the trees round the timber-tree mould be fbubbed, and it mould be drefled according to the directions for pruning. The winter following all the trees that are defigned for under-wood mould be cut clean clofe by the ground ; they will moot very faft and grow very thick. The timber-trees mould not be left nearer than fifty feet to each other, for it is impoflible to have good under-wood if they are nearer. OF WOODS. 107 IF the under-wood is only defigned to remain for a term of years, that is, until the trees grow up, the timber-trees may be left at ten feet, if the ground is very good ; but if it is only middling land, eight will be iufficient. A PLANTATION converted iftto timber- trees and under-wood that is to remain on good land, will be of more value than any other way it can be employed ; for in countries where firing is fcarce it will every fourteen years yield a great profit to the proprietor, much more than good corn crops, if their whole value was calculated to the greateft nicety. And as the timber- trees are ftill growing, and will have very tall boles if they were managed as directed, they will be of very little detriment to the under-wood, and when they are of age to cut will be of great value, IF the plantation be feventeen or eighteen years old, never pruned nor drefied, and planted at three or four feet di fiance, there icS ON THICK PLANTING there muft be great caution ufed to bring it into order. THE tre&s will be very tall and (lender, and have very few iide-brauches, and thofc that are will be mofily at the top and very long ; their roots will be all intermixed, fo that the*re will be no porlibility of even flubbing any of them without hurting the roots of thofe that are to remain. " THE only method that can be taken with trees that are thus tall and (lender, is to cut out every other tree dole to the ground, and the long tide-branches, ibme "of which will be very thick, mould be cut off at a foot from the bole of the tree, that there may no hlemiihes be made i-: the bcle. THE heads of the trees mould aliu bL thinned and lightened, for they will be all top-heavy, and be much hurt by the wind, \vhich will have great power on them. As OF WOODS. 109 As they have had only every other tree cut off, if they were three feet diffonce at firft planting, they will now be only fix feet diftance, which is too little if the land is very good ; but it will be befl to let them remain fo for two or three years, and by that time the trees that are to {land for timber will be hardened a little, and have got fome little itrength. BEFORE there are any trees cut, the beft that are to ftand mould be marked, and thole that are to be taken away may have their iide-branches cut off at random ; but thole that are to remain for timber mould be dreiTed according to the directions (or pruning. When thole that are to ftand have got fome flrength, the other trees fhould be cut oft dole to the ground. IT will be many years before fuch trees recover, and never will make fuch good trees as if they had been drefled fooner ; and this is all that can be done for planta- tions that have been fo long neglected. THE no ON THICK PLANTING THE trees that were cut off will fhoot ftrong, and make good under-wood for fome years ; that is, till the trees get fome fide-branches, and grow to a fize to (mother it. But in fuch thickets, as the trees are fo tall, it would be very improper to thin them to fuch a diftance as to make a laft- ing crop of under-wood and timber-trees ; for as they are very tall, and not ftrong in proportion to their height, the wind would make them fo much, if it did not break them, that they would be in great danger of being, what is termed by the wood-workers, Jhaken^ which greatly lef- lens the value of the tree. THE under- wood will (hoot very fafr, five or fix feet the firfr, year, and will be of great fervice to the {landing timber- trees ; in three years time it will be as high as- the boles of the trees ; but as their heads will always be above, it will not draw them, and they will grow very ftrong. BEFORE O F W O O D S. - in BEFORE the under-wood is fit to cut, the timber-trees will be a good deal pro- portioned in their bodies to their height, and the winds will not hurt them when the under-wood is cut. As the under-wood will be very thick, it will prevent any fide-moots growing on the bole of the timber-trees, ib that after the third year there will be no occafion to prune them, nor in fummer to pull off any of the fide-branches ; for if there mould any fide-branches fprout on the bole after that time, the thicknefs of the brufh- wood, which will be very clofe, willfmo- ther them, fo that they will decay next year. There will, then be no further trouble. ALL trees that have been neglected, and have great fide-branches, although they grow in avenues or fmgle trees, may be brought into order, fb as to iucreafe the fize of their boles, but they will not be very fightly, as all the large arms mould 2 be W2 ON THICK PLANTING be cut off a foot from the body of the tree ; and it will be abfolutely neceflary to pull oft" the young moots in fummer, that Ihoot from the places where the large branches were cut off; for as they ft and foopen, they will pufh many ftrong moots, which will be more detrimental to the tree, if not pulled off, than if it had never been cut ; for there are often to be feen trees that have had large branches cut off, and then neglected for four or five years, and then cut again, with their whole bodies one continued blemifh. THIS is the error that the workers, in wood fo juftly complain of, and it is in general imputed to the pruning of timber- trees ; but it is not regular pruning, but the negiecl of performing it properly that is the occafion of this diiafter. IT mould be obferved, that none of the directions here given will aniwer with any of the turpentine kinds, as they never fhoot after cutting; fo if there are any thickets OF W O O D S. 113 thickets of them, the beft way is to thin them gradually at two or three different times, and leave them as . regular as poffi- ble. ALL the pine kinds will thrive and grow to fine timber at eight feet diftance on the befl of ground ; and all the forts of firs at ten feet diflance. The only way to have fine trees of thofe kinds is to keep them thick, for they extend their fide-branches to a great length when they have room to fpread, and do not grow fo tall and (Iraight in their boles as when they are confined* PLANTATIONS of eighteen or twenty years old, that have been neglected and are very thick, may be brought to order by following the directions for that purpofe, which will preferve many good trees ; but if it is in a country where firing is fcarce, and of confequence under-wood of great value, they would turn to more profit to cut them all down an inch below ground, VOL. I. H for ii4 ON THICK PLANTING for they will grow very fail and very thick. IN the beginning of July, fome ftools that have fine fhoots may be marked at forty or fifty feet diftance, of the kind the moft proper for the foil, or what the proprietor likes heft (if there are different kinds of trees in the plantation) and all the fhoots but one pulled off by the hand ; they will come off very eafily at that fea- fon, as the wood will be very thick. IN the winter, ftub a root or two the neareft to thofe that are to ftand for tim- ber, that they may have free air : they will make finer trees than if they had been treated in any other manner. IT will be necefiary to examine their bottoms next fummer, and pull off the fhoots, if any more have grown : they muft be pruned and dreffed as other trees ; and as they have free air and warmth they will grow amazingly, and in ten years time O F W O O D S. 115 time be much finer trees than they would have been at the age if they had not been cut down. PLANTATIONS that have been planted on tolerable or even very good land with trees from the nurfery, of five or iix feet high, and do not feem to thrive, whofe bark looks reddifh, and pufh many fmall fide-fhoots, and whofe leading (hoot often decays, after they have been planted three or four years, if they do not take to grow- ing, cut them off an inch below the ground in any of the winter months. THEY will pufh many moots next fum- mer ; in the beginning of July pull them all off but one of the ftrongefl ; fatten the earth about the moot to prevent the wind breaking it, which is the only dan- ger it is liable to ; they will then grow very freely, and foon be fine trees, THIS method will anfwer very well for all kinds of deciduous trees, the oak in H 2 parti- ii6 ON THICK PLANTING particular : they will fhoot a yard trie firft year, and be handfome ftraight trees J whereas before they did not fhoet two inches, and even that killed in winter, be- caufe it never came to- maturity. THIS mutt never be attempted on trees that are planted on poor land, becaufe all trees on poor ground are feemingly hide^ bound for fome years after they are plant- ed, and never make any progrefs until- they have been fome time at a ftand ; if they were to be cut down they would make moots, but they would be very weak ; the wood would not be ripened,, as it would be long before they fhoot in the .fpring, and they would be in danger of be- ing killed in winter. THE bottoms of all trees that are cut down muft be carefully kept clean of all Ihoots ; they muft be pulled off by the hand ; this muft not be negle&ed for two or three years, for if the young moot that is encouraged grows well, which there is no- O F W O O D S. 117 jio doubt but it will, there will fhoots come from the bottom for iome time: thefe mufl be pruned and dreffed accoi'd- ing to trie general rules for pruning and drefling foreft- trees. THERE are many kinds of wood very -beneficial to be raied where public works are carried en at or near the place, which ocean" on s a great demand for wood. WHERE there are coal-pits whofe roofs are bad, and require a great deal of wood for fupports, it would be of great advan- tage in fuch places to allot twenty acres of good land to be fown with am-feeds, which grow very fad. AFTER they are come to a proper fize, if the ground was quite cleared as they were wanted, there would be an immenfe quantity of wood. They would be fit for fuch ufes in about twenty years after fow- ing ; and if the field was begun at one end and cut regularly, before they were all H 3 gone n8 ON THICK PLANTING gone over, that which was firfr, cut would be fit for ufe, if the demand was not very great. THE fowing of afh-feeds will be of great profit in. fuch places where much wood is wanted. The heft method to have it come to maturity foon, is to low it 'in a field that has been corn a few years, the foil rich, and in good condition. Give it a winter fallow, and as foon as it is dry in fpring plow it again, and let it lie until the beginning of April. The feeds being prepared, fow them broad-cart all over the field, and then a thin crop of oats ; har- row the whole. THE corn mud: be cut high, and all the precautions that were given in the direc- tions for fowing amongft corn obferved. In the winter they ihould be thinned where too thick, and in the fummer, for a year or two, have the large weeds pulled from amongft: them, and they will require no more trouble. As OF WOOD S. 119 . As they grow thick there will be no occafion for pruning or dreffing ; only when any part of the field is cut in the winter, the next fummer all the fhoots, but two or three of the beft, mould be pulled off from the ftools, and thole left fhould be at as equal diftances as potlible. There will be no occalion to pull them any more, as the thicknefs of the wood will fmother what fprings after the firft fummer. This mould be done every cut- ting. THERE fhould never be any trees weeded out, for that, in a few year?, would fpoil the whole field ; for as the wood will be very clofe, the young moots that fprouted from the tree which was cut would want free air, be drawn up weak, and grow crooked, UNDER- WOODS of Beech and Hornbeam will be very profitable where much char- coal is wanted ; for if they are cut clean they will grow very faft from the {tools, JI 4 and 120 ON THICK PLANTING and be of a good fize. Although they be very thick, there is no occafion for doing any thing to them after they are cut ; only clear the ground of all rubbifh, and let them -grow as nature directs, and they an- fwer very well. THERE are many compositions recom- mended (and all of them would be a great expence if ufed for a large plantation) as fit to cover the places where large branches have been cut off; and that by applying any of them, they will prevent any blemifh in the tree, although the bov.g'h cut off be very large and cut clofe. THIS I cannot agree to, as I have feen, it often tried, and never found it anfwer. If any cf them are laid on too hot it burns the bark all round the amputation, and makes the \vound larger, and the bark rifes fo that it is long before it begins to cover. If it be laid on too cold it never joins well, but cracks, and falls off. If they OF WOODS. 121 they are laid on juft of a right warmth,, fhey will ftick until the bark grows over the wound, but there will be a dead place in the body of the tree, although the bark in time will cover the wound. THERE can no large brnnch be cut clofe to the hole without making a blemim. Whe-n the bark on the bole of any tree is bruifed v or rubbed againft by carts or any other accident, if the loofe bark is pared off immediately, and a compofition of equal quantities of clay and cow-dung be mixed fo thin as to be laid on with a brufh, as paint, all over the wounded place, and as foon as it is a little dry lay a, plaifter of the fame compofition, made pretty ftifF, about half an inch thick all over, and dam it with a little dry mould to prevent its cracking, there will be no t>lemim. BUT if the application is not made be- fore the wound dries, where the tree was hurt there will be a blemim, but the bark will i.22 ON THICK PLANTING will grow over better and fooner with this than any of thofe competitions that are fo highly recommended, and at no expence. THE laying the firft on fo thin and with a brufh is, that there may no part be mirT- ed, for it penetrates into all the fides of the tree, clofe to the fides of the found bark, and it alfo prevents the ftifF plaifter from dropping off by the heat of the fun, which .it would do if a thick plaifter was laid firft on the wounded place. IF any favourite detached tree mould have the misfortune to have a large arm or branch fplit, fo as to hang almoft by the bark of one fide, let all the fraclured places be brufhed over with the thin ftufF, and then half an inch thick of the fame be laid all over. RAISE the branch to its proper pofition, fo that the bark fits all round, and then fecured with props, fo as to prevent the wind making it ; then apply a plaifter of the O F W O O D S. the fame, pretty ttiff, all round the branch fix inches above and below the fplinter, which fhould have a coarfe cloth lapped all round to prevent its cracking, and fattened with a fmall rope wrapped quite clofe. It will unite and grow, and in a few years be as found as ever. THE compoiition of cow-dung and clay is better for all wounded places in trees than any of the grafting waxes ufed for that purpofe. Although this has no con- nection .with planting, it is often of great fervice to trees that meet with accidents. IF a branch is broken by the wind, and flips off a good deal of the bark, lay on the thin fluff with thebrufh firtt, and then a plaifter of the fame made a little ttiffer, taking care to let it be an inch wider than the wound, and be quite thin at the fides to prevent its coming off by the heat of the fun, and it will anfwer beyond expecta- tion. There is no danger in laying it on, and, if it is well fattened to the tree, it will in ON THICK PLANTING: will flick until the wound is covered with new bark. After the plaifter is laid on, and a little dried, if it was brufhed all over with fome of the thin that was nrft laid on, it would prevent its cracking and fill up all the cavities, fo that no air could get between the piaifter and the tree ; which if it does, the whole falls off, and will be of no fervice. . . THE dung and clay mould be mixed fbme time before it is ufed,' and worked feveral times, that it may be well united ; if it was' for three or four months it would be the better ? but there will be no occafion to keep it mpift all that time ; for after ;t is brought to proper order and laid in a heap, it will require no further care until a day or two before it is wanted. CHAP, FOREST T & E S. CHAP VI. On the Soils proper forthe different Kinds of fioreft-l'rees. THERE is a proper foil for all kinds of trees in which they thrive, an 159 THE fecond year the American made a fhoot of two feet long ; the common a moot of fifteen inches, but near twice as thick. The third year the American moot was much the fame ; the common twenty- two inches and very ftrong. The fourth year the American kept frJll to two feet; the common gained an inch. They both grew much the fame for many years ; the American was the talleft, but the common was much the ftrongefr. plant. THERE were the fame year, and near the fame time, fome planted on a dry, poor, fandy foil. They both made very poor moots for feveral years, but the com- mon was the heft, and of a much darker green. I HAVE taken notice of this difference 1 , becaufe moil that have wrote on planting, of late years, greatly recommend the Ame- rican kind of trees, as being of a much quicker growth than the fame kinds that: are Englim ; that is, that an American Oak; i6o ON AMERICAN Oak, Afh, Beech, &c, will grow much fatter than an Englifh Oak, Afh, or Beech. I HAVE at this time Oaks of different kinds, Am, Beech, and Birch, from Ame- rican feeds, and the fame forts that are Englifh, growing in the fame nurfery ; there are fome of both forts that make long moots and flrong ; and in many of them there is no material difference. I believe it is more from the richnefs of the foil than from the trees, that caufes the great difference in the growth of wood in England and America. THERE are many kinds of American oaks that have been railed from feed fome years fince in England, and are planted out, and are fine thriving trees, and grow much fafter than the generality of the Enolifh ; but as thev were new trees, and o * greatly recommended for their beauty and quick growth, they were fown in th Left F OR E S T T.R -E E 5. 161 b.sfl fpils, and planted with all care in the warmeft foliations* BUT if they had been planted in ground of lefs value, perhaps they would not have grown fafter than the common Englim oak ; and if they did, it would he very material to know if the wood was equally good, for the quantity will not make up for the quality, if it is of an inferior nature^ EVERY one knows that all the kinds of* forefi-trees we have in England, that are of quick growth, their wood is of very lit- tle value, as poplars and willows of all- kinds ; but there may be feminal varieties in feedlings of all kinds of trees, as the quality of the wood may be equally good and yet grow much fatter ; for in large plantations of all kinds of trees there will be many that will moot as much in one year as the generality of the plantation do in two or three, where there is not tha leaft vifible difference in the foil. VOL. 1. L Wflfi- ife. ON AMERICAN j , WHETHER this is owing to a feminai* Variety, or to fome fuperior quality in the ground where fuch plants are planted, I do not pretend to determine ; but if, upon the nicefl obfervation, there cannot be dif- c0vered the leaft variation from the others that grow fo (lowly, I think it would be furprizingjf it proceeded from a change in the feed, but rather from force hidden quality in the foiL THOSE that are curious in trees, when they cbferve a feedling-tree that is re- markably different, and has fome good' qualities which they would wifh to pre- ferve,- the bsfb method is to convert it into aftcol, and raiie plants from layers (for all fortft-trees will grow from layers) which is a more certain method than graft- ing j for all trees partake foruething of the flock they are grafted on, as can be eafily proved from the dwarfimnefs of the apples ? grafted on paradife {locks, and pears on quinces, with many others. THOSE FOREST TREES. THOSE that are accurate in botany can dhlinguifli many fpecies from feedlings, fbwn at the lame time, of any kinds of trees or plants ; and it is owing to their ingenuity and difcoveries that makes us poiTeffed of fo great a variety of beautiful- plants of all kinds. THE only difficulty in feedling- trees is to know which is the heft wood ; as in all kinds of feeds fome improve, fome dege- nerate, and many keep to their kind. But when there are many vifible differences in plants from the kind that was fown, there is no doubt but the very nature is altered ; and although they may feem to be im- proved by being more vigorous than the others, perhaps trie wood may be'rnucli inferior. IN flowers and other inferior plants,' their goodnefs is foon difcovered, and in general (efpecially in flowers) fhe ftrorfgeft and freeft growing are the worft ; but in trees it will be a long time before ;t can bz L 2 knowiiy 1 64 ON AMERICAN* known, not before the trees are fit for cutting ; for there are many kinds of wood which is good for nothing until it comes to its proper age, which is then very good ; and many kinds that are pretty good when young, but when old are good for little. FOR which reafons it will not be pru- dent to plant large plantations for profit with trees, let them be never fo well re- commended, until the goodnefs of the wood is well known. I HAVE been informed by feveral gentle- men that have been many years in Ame- rica, that in the large and fine growing woods there the foil in general is a fine light loam of a great depth, fuch as is in our valleys by river fides, and are perfectly dry. IF a large plantation was made on fuch ground in England (for if there are only a few trees planted they will never make fine timber), and if the water does not lay on FOREST TR EES. 1-65 on it in the winter, which is often the cafe, they would grow very fa ft and be fine trees. Some years iince I made a plantation on fuch a foil, which was not liable to be wet in winter. THE plantation was moftly the Englifli oak; they in general made moots two feet long the fecond year after planting ; the moots were proportion ably flrong. They continued to grow very quick, fo that in a few years they were fuch large and fine trees, that none who faw them would believe but they were much older. THERE are now growingat Lord Downe's at Cowick, in Yorkfhire, what are there called the large American oaks ; they are growing in fmall clumps ; they are about thirty years old ; the mofl of them are fifty feet high and upwards, two feet diameter at bottom, fine fhaight {terns, clear bark, and grow freely. feeds were fown where they are L 3 now j66 ON AMERICAN, &c. now growing ; they were kept clean and drefled carefully for fome years. There are no Englifh oaks growing near them ; if there had, I am of opinion they would have been as large as the Americans, for there are fome Englifh elms growing near them which are much larger ; which makes me believe iris more the foil than the kinds that makes the quick growth of trees. His lordmip's park is a rich, light ? deep loam, and a warm fituation. CHAP, GROWN WOO D. i CHAP. VIII. 'On the Management of grown ALTHOUGH the intention of this publication is only for the planting of poor lands, and converting them into profitable forefts, as fuch ground is of very -little life and of no value, it cannot be fuppofed that trees on fuch ground wit! ever grow to the perfection and fize of trees on rich foils ; fo that every gentle- man of landed property mould allot a few acres of good land for planting for the good of poftcrity, and the advantage of his country. IT will not turn to the planter's imme- diate profit ; but there are few of that par- fimonious difpofition who will do nothing for futurity, who are really gentlemen ; ; aud all thole that are lovers of trees, as L 4 moi> i68 T H E M A N A G E M E N T mofl gentlemen are, their pleafure in fee-* ing them grow will be very great, anc! give them more joy than any other amufe- ment. tfhefe ars frees of my own planting are words 1 have often heard repeated with great content and. gladnefs. , ALTHOUGH I have treated a good deal already on the thinning of plantations on good land, I mud: again repeat a caution, The methods of planting good land is ikilfully and plainly taught by many ablo authors, fo as to want no inflructions but fome cautions, PLANT thick and prune carefully ac- cording to the directions given for prurn ing, and juft when the fide-branches be- gin to meet remove every other tree, for if they ftand until they are become a thicket, it makes them tender for want of free air, and when expoled are in danger of being loft. The removed trees mould J3e planted in large clumps, or in a new lantation ; for trees from fuch places OF GROWN WOO D. . (hould never be planted as detached trees, jaor in {ingle rows, THE trees that are taken up muft not by any means be divefted of all their fide- branches, as is often pracYifed ; for if they have been well managed, they will be. flifF and ftrong, and very able to fupport themfelves with the fide-branches on ; they keep the trees warm, and encourage their growth greatly ; whereas, when ta-r ken clean off, the top or leading moot grows very long even the firfl: year after planting, and always fo weak, that it is pot ftrong enough to fupport itfelf, fb prows crooked ; but where many or all of the fide-branches are left on, it grows not fo much in length, but quite ftrong and upright, IT is owing to the {tripping of young ones that there, are fo many crooked trees in plantations that are planted from nurfe^ ries with trees eight or ten feet high. I HAVE planted trees twenty feet high 170 THE MANAGEMENT with ib many of the fide-branches on, that by the middle of fummer it would have been very difficult to know at a little dif- tance, but that the trees had been grow- ing in that place feveral years. ' IF trees that are very tall and have ftiff boles are to be removed, if they are Gripped <( which is very often the cafe) of all their fide- branches, they grow to a. great bufh at top, and are in danger of be- ing broke ; but if there had been many large branches left pretty thick on the bole, the tree would bear the wmd muck better, as it would then have all bent equally, been in no danger of being broke, made a finer tree> THE difficulty of planting trees that have been a long time in a thicket, is ? that they have very few fide-branches, aiid thofe that they have are very long. They thould be Shortened to two feet long, and the top, which is generally very bufhy, |ho\dd be thinned by cutting out fome of OF GROWN WOOD. the largeft clofe to the bole, and fhorten- sng the others gradually, fo as to draw th tree to a leading fhoot. BUT it is -bad planting them; for as they have been fo long deprived of free air, and been very warm, they are in .great danger of being loft, fo that it is only in cafe of neceffity they ever mould be planted ; and when they are, the only place is in a wood, where there is a large vacancy by a tree's being dead, or cut out for fome particular uie. There they may iucceed, but hardly any where elfe. IN fuch places they are >f great fervice, and it is difficult to find trees that are tall enough but from fuch thickets, and there they are in no danger of being (haken by the wind, as they are prote&e.d by the trees all around. IF the vacancy is large, that is, forty or fifty feet diameter, which is often th cafe where a Urge tree has been cut out, it would i;2 THE MANAGEMENT would be right to plant four or five in the middle pretty clofe ; for it would be to no purpofe to plant within twenty feet of the fide, imlefs the tree that is planted is taller than the trees that are growing round the vacancy. IT is a common practice in natural woods to cut out trees for particular ufes : this is very wrong ; for it would be of more advantage to the owner to purchafe what wood is wanted, even at a very dear rate, than mangle his wood j for if the wood was not' well managed when young, it is probable the cutting out of a large tree may make a gap of twenty or thirty feet. No young tree can be got up even in that great fpace, for the trees that are round will fpread their fide-branches, which were kept up by the tree that was cut, and in a few years will meet ; fo that if even a tree from fome other place was t be planted in the opening, unlefs it was | higher OF GROWN WOOD. 173 higher than the trees round it, it would foon be over-hung and deftroyed ; fo that there is not the leaft probability of any fhoots that come from the {tool of the tree that was cut off ever getting np fo as to come to perfection, even although all the fide-branches of the ftanding trees were cut, which would be a great detriment to them, more than the value of the planted tree, even if it mould thrive very well. It is owing to this bad practice of cutting out trees, that there are fo many crooked trees in natural woods. THERE is another great objection againft the cutting of trees in grown woods. There are generally cattle allowed to feed in them, and if the owner caufes fences to be made round where the tree was cut, to fave the young moots (which I have feen) they are little regarded after the firft making ; and indeed if they were it would be to little purpofe, for if the young (hoots were never fo well prefer v- ed, before they could come to any height the THE MANAGEMENT the place is quite clofed at top, and the/ grow crooked, unfightly biifhes. . IF the wood is come to its full growth, and is to $and forne years, it is a great iofs ; for when the whole of the wood is felled, the fhoots from the tree that was THE berries which are gathered when the leaves are on the trees, will gvow, but as they are not then full ripe, many of them will mould and rot ; and thole that grow, will not make vigorous plants, which is their greateft -qualification. HE.RE they muft lay two. winters and pne fummer, until the time of fbwing (the beginning of March) then they may be fifted from the afjies, or fown all to- gether, which is much the beft way. THE ground fit for fowing them mould be light and rich ; and as there are many that do not come up before the fecond year, all that come up the firfr. year mould be drawn in the winter ; mod of them will be fit to plant out for hedges. THE reafon for drawing out thofe thr.t 3 come OF FENCES. 185 come up the firft year is, to let thofe that come up the next have free air and room to grow. The feed-beds mould not be deftroyed for three or four years, for if the large ones are drawn, thofe that come up laft may ftand in the beds until they are fit for ufe. EVERY time there are any drawn out of the feed-bed, it will be neceffary to dig the alleys, and lay a little earth all over {he beds, becaufe in the drawing there will be many of the feeds raifed out of the ground. IF quicks are wanted in a hurry, they may be made to come up the firft year ; that is, many of them, which will be fit for ufe next winter. A s foon as the defigned quantity of haws are gathered, mix them well with -twice as much frefh grains from the brewhoufe, (old grains will not anfwer) and lay them up in a round heap, covering them all found with half an inch of grains. i86 THE MANAGEMENT THERE they may remain for ten or twelve days, ty which time they will be in a gentle 'heat ; they muft then be turned and la-id up as before, and lie as long, by which time moft of the pulp \vill be rotted off; then they fhould have another turning, and a good deal of fand mixed with them, and rubbed between the hands, and laid up clofe, and covered two inches thick with fand to keep them from frofr.. They muft be under cover ; an open fhed will do. Thefe muft be fown in March. I F there is a hedge to plant in poor gravel or fandy foil, pare off the grafs as thin as poffible two feet wide ; take out a fpade of earth and put in a quick, which mould be cut eight inches long, and laid in Hoping, fo that the top mould not be above two inches out of the ground ; then dig on a foot and lay another in the fame manner, and fo on, to the end \> then there will be a ftraight row at a foot di fiance. OPEN OF FENCES. iS 7 OPEN the ground two inches diftant from the firft row, and plant another quick in the fame manner between every one of thofe firft planted, fo that there will be another ftraight row two inches wide of the firfr., and the quicks at fix inches diftance. LET it grow at pleafure for two years, by which time the moots will be a good length ; fo that they may be platted into one another, and then with a pair of garden fheers cut off all the long drag- gling branches. There is nothing fur- ther requilite for two years ; then it mould be platted, and cut as before. IF the hedge is to grow tall, provide a hedge-bill with a long handle, and in winter fwitch off all the long fide-branches that over-hang the bottom of the hedge, and keep the top narrow, and it will be a good and neat fence for many years. I N fuch grounds' there is no occafion. for THE MANAGEMENT for ditches, fo there will be no fcouring, and the dreffing will be a very fmall ex- pence, as a man will fwitch and drefs as much in a day as he could fcour in a week. Scouring in fuch dry ground never Hands well. I N all poor gravel and Tandy land, if a little very rotten dung can be fpared to put to the root of each quick, it would be of great fervtce, .and would encourage their growth greatly. If the hedge is to be kept dipt, which is the beft way to have a good fence on fuch poor land (for they grow very flow after laying) it fhould be clipped every year after the fecond platting. The expence of clip- ping will be lefs than where fcouring is wanted, and it may be performed in winter, when little other bufmefs can b? done in the fields. IF the ground is ftrong clay there will be water to carry off, fo there muft be a .ditch. 'The heft method to have a good hedge O F FENCES- 189 hedge is to make the ditch and throw the beft of the earth up behind, and fo form a border, and plant the hedge in the border a foot from the face of the ditch, in the fame manner as that planted on poor land. THE flope of the ditch on that fide the quick is planted, fhould be faced with the turf that is cut off the top of the ditch* The turf mould be a fpade deep, and the firil mould be laid as low as the bottom of the ditch (if two inches lower it would be better) to prevent the water undermining it, which it frequently does where there is a bare fpace left below the turf, fo that the whole tumbles down. . THE advantages of planting the quicks in this manner are many, and attended with only one inconvenience ; that is, there mull: be a few thorns pricked in the top of the flope, to prevent the cattle fetting their feet on it, and to hinder them from cropping the quicks and pull- ing down the Hope. THE MANAGEMENT IF the ground is good and no water to carry off, it would make a much better fence to plant on the level ground, as on poor land ; for befides growing much bet- ter, there is no expence in cleaning and fcouring the ditches. IT is three years longer in being a fence than if there was a ditch ; but after it is fenceable, there is no further trouble than annually to fwitch off the long branches that over-hang the hedge bottom, and makes it foon naked when they are not taken off. THE over-hanging of the top-branches kills all the bottoms ; the hedge grows fo thin that it is not fenceable, and then it muft be laid ; but by this annual trim- ming it will be very good for many years, and will grow much taller, and be a much better melter, where it is wanted for that life. 1 F on good land there is water, and a ditch OF FENCES. ditch is neceffary, make it the fame as in clay land, and plant the quicks in the fame manner ; and if turf can be got it would be right to face the dopes on both fides, as the light mould will tumble down with froft and rain and fill the ilitch bottom foon. IF the ground is wet, planting in the face of the flope is the befh method ; but if it is boggy, quicks will not thrive ; they grow cankered and fhunted, and never will make a fence. i IN boggy grounds Willows will make a good fence with little trouble. If a ditch will carry off the wet, make one as before directed ; but if it will not, there is no occafion for any. PROVIDE good ftrong truncheon's of the large growing kinds, three feet long ; with art iron crow make holes two feet deep and eighteen inches diftaht, aiid plant one into each hole, making it fait 2 with THE MANAGEMENT with the foot. This may be done in any of the winter months. THE firfr. year they will moot many flrong moots ; let fome of thofe be platted a foot from the top of the truncheons, fo then the fence will be two feet high ; let all thofe that are not platted in be cut off, but not too clofe/ The next year plat fome of the ftrongeft moots a foot higher, fo that the hedge will then be fchree feet high. NEXT year cut all the upright moots a foot from the laft platting, for there will be no occafion for platting them any more; Thus there will be a fence four feet high which cannot be broke through. All the fide-branches muft be cut every year, and in a few years they will grow very thick and flrong, and be as good a fence as a quick hedge. ALL hedges that are defigned to be clipped mould be platted the third and fourth OF FENCES. 193 fourth year after planting, as it binds them fo that they cannot be broke through ; but thofe that are to grow high, and are afterwards to be laid, Should not be platted at all, for they would be fo intangled that it would be impoflible to feparate them. THOSE on gravelly poor land make but bad fences when laid, fo that the beft way is to clip them ; but if that is thought too great an expence to the farmers, if they will carefully keep them thin at top, and cut off all the fide- branches that over-hang, they will laft at lead: twenty years and more* and be in a good condition to lay after that time. I N good land and clay grounds laid hedges will anfwer very well. The cut- ting the boughs that hang down will be of great fervice to thofe that are to run up to height, and are to be cut down and laid. By the trimming of them annually VOL. I. N they THE MANAGEMENT they will remain good fences longer than can be imagined till tried, HEDGES that are laid are in general fpoiled in the bottom by weeds and grafs the firft and fecond year after laying* be- caufe there are many root-weeds and grafs in the bottom of old hedges which have great roots, but have been prevented from growing in fummer by being fmothered by the hedges hanging over them ; but when it is cut clofe they grow very fail, and almoft or quite cover the whole hedge, which is of great detriment to the young ihoots, THE heft method to manage them is to lay the hedge firft, then with a ftubbing- hoe clean all the ground on both fides, taking up all the roots of briars, which run great lengths and do a deal of hurt ; alfo all root- weeds and ftrong benty grafs ; then face up the flope with turf from the ditch, always obferving to let the firfl fpade of turf be laid even with the bot- tom OF FENCES. 195 from of the ditch, and never to plaifter the mould up to a point againft the quicks, but lay it in between and at leaft a foot beyond the hedge, There mould be eight or ten inches flat between the flope and the hedge, which fhould be kept as clean for two years as if it were a new-planted one, and by that time the hedge will be even with the face of the flope, and pre- vent weeds growing to hurt it* IN five or iix years, if the ditch mould want cleaning arid facing, give the turf that it is faced with a moderate flope ; but by no means carry it nearer the hedge than it was at firft* LET the mould be broke dowri amongfr. the roots of the hedge, and laid flat at top ; this encourages its growth greatly ; but when the mould is laid up to a point againft the hedge, it deprive? it of all moifture ; and when one fide is covered up a foot, the other is quite bare. By being laid up in that way it is very N 2 liable 196 THE MANAGEMENT liable to flide down, and is often much damaged by heavy fhowers. I T is frequently difputed whether live or dead flakes are befl in a laid hedge. I am of opinion dead flakes are beft, for this , reafon, that the live flakes fhoot much flronger and fafler than the branches that are laid, and grow quite upright. I N a few years they over-hang the winders and kill them ; and although they meet at top there are great gaps in the bottom. It will be of fervice, where there is any, to cut them clofe down to the binding of the hedge for two years, as it will encourage the growth of the winders, fo that the whole will be much clofer. I F live flakes could be left regular at two or three feet diflance, a good hedge might be made with a very little trouble. The winders fhould be laid in very thin, and all the (hoots that grow upright on the OF FENCES. 197 the top of the flakes (hould be rubbed off at leaft four times in a fummer. This will caufe the flakes to pufti many flrong fide-fhoots, which all grow almoft hori- zontally, and will foon meet. To rub off the top-fhoots of the live flakes would be a trifling expence ; a man might go over a large farm in a day, if all the hedges were laid in one year, which never happens. I F hedges were managed as here di- rected, the expence would not be (b much as it is in the common way, becai\ie they would lafl much longer, and be much better fences. IT is the common practice to plant trees in hedges, and is recommended as bene- ficial ; but it is aq exceeding bad practice, and fpoils the hedges, for they grow to fhort boles and large heads ; fo far as the branches hang the fence is very weak, and the trees are never of great value. N 3 IT j 9 S THE MANAGEMENT IT deftroys and waftes much ground, as little will grow under the drop of their branches, and the roots run a great way into the fields when in grafs, which are very troublefome when taken into tillage; THE heft method is to plant a few trees in the corners of the fields, and where hedges meet. If all the four corners are planted, it will make a handfome clump ; and, as the trees may be planted thick, they will grow ftraight and tall, and make fine timber, which they never will do in hedge-rows, IF the fields are large, the clump in each corner may be made fo that when grown up it will be fine fhelter for cattle in winter ; and the fields may t>e kept feparate by a coarfe rail. TREES thus planted will be more beau- tiful to the country, lefs damage to the farmers, and more profit to the landlords. 1 As OF FENCES, 199 As they will be of courfe very irregular, from any eminence at a diftanc.e the whole country will look like an entire wood, beautiful furpaffing imagination, THERE is another improvement that would render the face of the country beautiful and fweet, viz. to plant red and white rofes in all hedges. Honey- fuckles are often planted, and are very fweet and pretty ; but they are fuch great runners, and grow fo thick, that they deftroy all the quicks, therefore I would not recommend them : fweet-briar will be full as fra- grant, and be no detriment to the hedge. The common wood-rofe is pretty in hedges; but it grows fo vigoroufly that it is hurtful to the quicks. The red and white fpindle-tree might be planted in hedges that are to grow high ; their berries are beautiful in winter : and if fome fiollies were fcattered at a difbnce they would look cheerful. IT is a common practice (and as hedges N 4 are 200 OF FENCES. are managed there is no avoiding it) when a hedge grows thin in the bottom, to draw cut thorns into it to ftop the gap ; but in reality it makes it larger, for the cut thorns are drawn in very thick to ferve the prefent purpofe, which kills the live wood, and in a few years the whole bottom of the hedge is ftuck with dead thorns, when the top is thick, ftrong, and vigorous. THE cutting up of the fide- boughs that hang down annually prevents all this ; but if by any accident there mould be an open in the bottom of an hedge, flick in a few imall flakes and wind fome live branches to them, and it will be clofe in a year's time, as the flakes will make the gap good in the mean time, and be no detri- ment to the hedge. C HA P. ON VINES. 201 C H A P. X. On Fines. TH E cultivation of vines, and the bringing the fruit to maturity, has been much ftudied of late, and not with- out fuccefs; but, from a long andafliduous application, I have difcovered many things that are nor in common practice, which I hope may be of fervice to the public. I SHALL begin with raifmgof the plants, and go through the management of them ; firft, on common walls (for the benefit of thofewho refide in countries where they will ripen without help) fecondly, on fire-walls without glafs or covering, thirdly, on fire- walls with glafs or fome other covering; in glafs-houfes or floves built on purpofe for them, 202 ON VINES. them, called vineries, and in ftoves that are ufed for pines. I SHALL 'alfo recommend a method to prepare the borders for planting them, very different from what is in common practice, together with a particular method of ob- taining good plants that will be very fruit- ful. . I begin. with the chopfing of them, which is cuttings, they being much better than rooted plants, and, if managed as di- redted, will bear fruit fooner and much better. THE method of procuring good vine cuttings has not been attended to with that attention which is requifite, as the chief part of the fuccefs depends on their being good. Thefe mould be taken from plants near the bottom of the wall, good bearing plants that have their eyes round and plump, their joints fhort, and the wood quite round. CUTTINGS with thefe properties will be very I ON VINES. 203 very fruitful, whereas cuttings from the upper parts of the wall, although they may feem to have moft of the properties of thofe cut from the bottom, are far in- ferior, being in general longer jointed, the wood fofter, and more apt to fhoot irrtp great rambling wood, WHEN they are taken off, there mould be an inch of the old wood to each, which fhould be cut (loping. Three eyes are a fufficient length ; the top mould alfo be cut doping from the eye, and a quarter of an inch above it, BEING thus prepared, put them into light dry ground (not too near together) up to the laft eye, preffing the ground clofe to them ; and before the frofts come on, cover them over four inches thick with dried fern, or dried peafe-ftraw, and let f:hem remain until you want them in fpring : they muft not be touched with the knife then, for it will caufe them to bleed, and fpoil them entirely. SOME 204 ON VINES. SOME may think that all this precaution is not neceffary, and that a cutting taken from any part of the wall, if it has the properties (as to outward appearance) of thofe taken from the bottom, is equally good ; but let thofe who think fo only try the experiment, and they will find their error ; the bottom cutting will moot lefs vigorous wood, but be much more fruitful. CUT TINGS are much thebeft for making all kinds of vine plantations. It is ob- jected they are longer in bearing than young plants, which I never found to be the cafe ; for if young plants are brought from any diftance, it will be necelTary to cut off all the fmall fibres, which will fo far impede their growth, that the fhoots from the cuttings will be Wronger, and bear fruit fooner and much better. WHERE there is an old plantation of vines, and a ftrong plant is wanted for any particular place, if it is taken up carefully with ON VINES: 205 with a good ball, and planted immedi- ately, it will anfwer very well ; but this is only moving from one part of the gar- den to another a few plants ; and if the vine be very old, it is difficult to be done with fuccefs. THE common method of planting vines (or cutting of vines, for there have been fome walls planted with cuttings) is to plant them at feven- or eight feet diftance, and fo train the fide-branches to fill the wall ; but there is a better way to have finer grapes, and to have them bear fooner. PREPARE fome good hot dung as for a melon bed ; make it up in the fame form, but two feet wider than the frame that is to cover it ; two feet high will be fuffi- cient, but it mould be well trodden to pre- vent the heat being too ftrong at firft. Stake it all round the fides with flakes two feet long, and wind them with flraw ropes very cloie to the top. 2 PRO- ON f I N E S. PROCURE fome frefh tanner's bark froiii the tan-pits (if the bed is to be covered with a three-light melon frame, which will hold eighty plants) two good loads of bark will be fufficient, and fo in propor- tion. If the bark can be made dry before It is laid on the bed, it will be better ; but as the weather is generally very uncertain at that time of the year (February) it may be dried in the bed. LAY it on a ridge in the middle of the bed ; fet on the frame and glaffes, and give it air : as the bark dries, draw it to the back and fore-fide of the frame till the whole is dried ; then take off the frame, and fpread it all over the bed ; fet on the frame and glafles ; let them lay clofe until the heat is rifen, which will be in three or four days, when it will be of a mode- rate temperature, if all has been performed as directed. PREPARE fome mould a little lighter and richer than is generally ufed for me* Ions* ON V I N E s; Ions. Take penny garden-pots, and into each put one of the cuttings, but be fure there be an inch of mould between the bottom of the pot and the lower end of the cutting. THERE mould be only one eye left out of the mould, and the top of the cutting mould be doping to one fide of the pot. When planted, plunge them into the tan half the depth of the pot at firft (for they require little heat for fome time) put oa the glafles, and give them air night and day as long as there is any fteam in the bed. GIVE them no water while the fteam is ftrong in the bed, for although they have air, they will be all wet with it in the night. It will be proper to made them in the day if it is very hot. WHEN the buds begin to pum (by which time the fteam will be gone) give them a little water at the bottom when the 2o8 ON VINES. the mould appears dry ; but care muft be taken to give it fparingly, and often, for too much at a time would rot them. It will be of great fervice to them to fprin- kle them all over twice a- week in the even- ing, and fhut the glaifes clofe ; but they mud have air in the morning early to dry the wet before the fun becomes hot, for if they are wet it will fcorch the end of the bud, and prevent its growing. They will require little water for the firft three weeks. WHEN the heat begins to decline, which will be in about five weeks (for the bark will grow mouldy, and then it lofes its heat) take all the pots out, and ftir the bark down to the dung; level it, and plunge the pots up to the top ; put on theglafles, and give a little air ; for although there will be neither heat nor {team for three or four days, there will be a rancid fmell, which will be very prejudicial to the plants, and turn them yellow. WHEN ON VINE S. 209 WHEN the heat rifes, if it is moderate, \vhich it generally is, there \vill be no fur- ther trouble with it, for it will laft long enough to bring the plants to perfe&ion : but if it mould be very hot, which fome- times happens, the pots muft be raifed until the violent heat is over, and then they may be let down, only fHrring the bark deep enough to plunge them to the top. They will now require a good deal of wa- fer and air, if the weather is warm. IF they pufh more moots than one, take them off as foon as they appear ; put a (lick to that which is to remain, and tie it up as -it advances in height, for it will be of great detriment to the plant, and re- tard its growth, to let it lie down. THE frame mould be raifed as the plants grow high, fo as to keep the glafles a foot from the top of the plants ;. but the bot- tom of the frame mould be kept clofe, fb as no. air can get in (which will be eaiy to do, as the bed is broader than the frame) VOL. I. O by aio ON VINES. by flicking a few flakes round, and fluff- ing flraw between the vacancies. As the plants advance in height they will pufh out fide- branches at the eyes, which mufl be conflantly picked off as they grow ; but not in the common me- thod, which is to break them off clofe to the eye : they mufl be pinched off a joint above the eye, and then they will pufh again at that place, and never hurt the bud that is to remain for next year's fhoot, WHEN they are taken off clofe to the bud, it often pufhes, and that joint is loft, which, if near the bottom, is of bad con- fequence ; and although it does not pufh, there often comes one, fometimes two fide-branches jufl by the eye, which weak- ens it greatly, and renders the place very unfightly. THIS mould be obferved in taking off the fide-fhoots of vines of all ages, that they pufh again much fooner when they ON VINES. they are pinched off at a joint than when they are taken off clofe, and will require a little more labour to keep them clean ; but by this method the eyes are all faved ; and as they pufh much weaker when they are pinched off at a joint than when they are taken off clofe, the vine buds for next year are much ftronger, and confequently the fitter for bearing good fruit. THE bed for the vines mould be made the beginning of February ; and, if all fucceeds well, they will be fine ftrong plants four and five feet high the begin- ning of June, at which time we mould begin to harden them ; firft by taking off the glaffes morning and evening, and giv- ing them air all night ; for if great care is ridt taken, they will be flopped in their growth and turn red, which will be of bad confequence, as then they will not {hike root after planting. THERE is no other difficulty in keeping them growing, than being cautious, giv- O 2 ing ON VINES; ing them air gradually, and not expofmg tliem to' the fun above an hour in the rnorn- ing. TAKE off the glafTes at five o'clock at night, let them ftan'd fb till ten o'clock* and after they have been ufdd to that ma- nagement for ten daysj they rriay fland un- covered all night, and have a ; great deal of air in the day-time. If a dull loft, day hap* pens -they may be uncovered all Icfey.' WHEN they are fo hardened that they cari '{Wnd the fun, they are then., ready for planting, which will be about the begin- ning of July, and they will have time to &rike root in the common .borders before winter, and will be very fine ftrong plants, THE common method of preparing bdr-^ ders for vines is to mix lime fiihbifri and hard fluff with good earth, which I have found, . by many years experience, to be wrong, and not a fit compofitiqn for them, in general" for all kinds "of fruit- 6 trees ON VINES. 213 S93J1 are made too deep ; two feet is quite lufficient ; the breadth ten feet at lead. When borders are made deep it encourages the roots downwards, where neither fun nor air can have any influence, and of co,n- fequence the fruit is not fo well flavoured. If they are properly prepared there is no danger from drought, which is the only thing that can hurt (hallow borders. IN making of all kitchen-gardens it is a common practice to fet out the borders and walks ; then to empty the walks of all good earth, and to fill them up with all the rubbifli and ftones that are found in making the garden. THE roots of moft trees run much fur- ther than is generally imagined, especially vines ; and when they meet with that bad fluff it cankers them, and infects the whole tree. This is a good reafon why efpa- liers, and other fruit-trees planted round Jdtchen-gardens, fo often decay ; for the Q 3 border^ 2J4 ON VINES; borders are feldom above fix feet broad, and if they are planted in the middle they liave only three feet to run on the fide next -to .the walk before they reach this rubhim, .which cankers their roots and infects the whole tree. To make a good kitchen-garden, and to . give all the trees an equal chance, would be to take levels of the whole ; and, if it can be conveniently done, it fhould flope all to the fouth ; but if the ground will not admit of that, and fome part falls to the north, there mould be a large covered drain where the falls meet. IF the bottom is clay, it will be much better to raife the level than dig into the clay. None will attempt to make a kitch- en-garden in a ipot where there is not at leaf! eight or ten inches of tolerable good mould. IT would be much better for all the kinds of trees and herbage that are to grow ON VINES. 215 in it, to let the clay, gravel, {lone, or fand remain, and bring earth to make the ground of a fufficient depth, as it will be lefs expensive ; and there is no neceffity that the eafl and weft walls mould be level at the top, nor that they mould fall regu- larly to the bottom ; for if the garden is higheft in the middle, and falls to the right and left, it will be no offence to the eye, rjor detriment to the ground, provided there be a fall to the fouth. I F any little heights intervene they (hould be taken down, fo as to make the bottom of the ground have the fame level with the top ; for that is of more conf- cjuence than is generally imagined. If the bottom be clay, and- there is a hollow dug, it holds water ; and when the roots of trees Breach the place, they are rotted. A HEIGHT has the fame effect, as it {lops the water, throws it back, and makes the ground all round very wet. O 4. HILLS 21-6. ON VINES. HILLS of (tone or fand are alfo of bad confeqiience, for the roots are either flop- ped by them, or they run into them, which is much worfe. If the bottom has no ob- ftruftions the water pafles off regularly, and the roots of trees and plants meet with no impediment under ground, fo that all things will thrive well. WHEN the levels are fixed upon, the walks mould be flaked out and dug over r and cleared of all weeds, ftones, and roots', as deep as the bottom of the other parts of the garden, and left fix inches lower than the level, which will be fufficient to lay gravel, or any other kind of hard fluff, to form the walks, for grafs walks are very unfit in kitchen-gardens. BUT if any gentleman prefers them to- gravel, they mould be left only two inches lower than the kitchen ground and bor- ders, which mould be filled up with fharp fand to lay the turf upon, as it will make them much drier for walking on in winter, will ON VINES. 217 will greatly prevent the worms from work^ ing in them, and keep them from growing too flufh in fummer, which they would do, as the ground is all made good below. They fhould alfo be made a little round to make the wet run off. IF the kitchen-garden is a fmall one, the walks mould be narrow in proportion ; in that cafe the whole ground may be trenched, and the walks emptied either for grafs or gravel, as the owner choofes, and the foil that is taken out of the walks may be fcattered over the kitchen ground. IF the walks are thus formed and made good, the borders may be contracted to what breadth the owner pleafes, and it would be no detriment to the trees on the walls, if the gravel was laid clofe to the wall. Bur it would be fo far a lofs, that there would be no fouth borders for plant j;ng things to ftand the winter ; and every five O N V I N E S. five or fix years it would be neceflary to take up the gravel to add fome frefh com- pofition for the encouragement of the trees, which mould be prepared fome time be- fore it is ufed. By this management the trees will thrive very well, and the garden will be exceeding neat, IF the gravel is laid clofe to the wall, or the borders contracted, there mould be at leaft ten feet diftance from the wall, made as good, and in the fame manner, as if the borders were of that breadth, which is fufficient for the roots, provided they meet with no obstruction after they have run that length. . THIS digreflion is for the advantage of thofe who are making new kitchen-gar- dens, as it \vill be of great fervice to e& paliers and chvarf apple-trees on the fides of the walks, and of great ufe to the wall 'trees; for although the borders are twelve -fee*, broad, which is wider than can be 2 afforded ON VINES: 219 afforded in a fmall kitchen-garden, be-* fides it is in no proportion, and very un^ feemly to fee a fhort narrow walk and fo broad a border; and if the trees are fb planted that the roots be made to run hori- zontally, they in a few years will reach the fide of the walks, and then the roots are liable to all the misfortunes that they would have been, had the border been narrower ; only then it would have hap- pened fooner, which any one may fee that will be at the trouble to examine into the bottom of a rubbifhy gravel walkj al- though the border was fourteen feet broad. IF ever there have been thriving trees on the wall, the roots will be found cankered and full of knobs and bunches. I do not pretend to fay it is from that reafbn that trees do not thrive; they are liable to .many other misfortunes, and often decay before their roots extend half way over the border : but it is my opinion that moil of the thriving trees off fix and fe- ven years pld, that go of by canker, are infected from that caufe, 220 ON VINES. I AM confident that thofe who pleafe to try this method of making their kitchen- gardens, will find their trees flourifh much better than by any method that has hi- therto been practifed ; and the wideneis of the borders, which has been introduced of late years, is a certain reafon that what is here directed will be of greater ier-> vice. But to return to the making the tx>rders for Vines. IF the natural foil is a light fandy loam (which is the beft) with a clay bottom, raife the ground fo as. to have a fufficient depth (two feet) which is much better than digging down into the clay, although it fhould be neceflary to have a ftep or two into the garden. SPREAD fix inches of rotten dung all over the top of the border ; open a trench two feet deep ; lay three inches of the dung in the bottom ; and when the bor- der is a foot high, lay in the other three inches, and .then fill up the border to its level ; O NT VINES. level ; leave the laft trench open, and iii about three weeks work it back again ; only when within four inches of the dung that is lain in the bottom, it mould be dug over, and the dung and the foil well mixed. The dung that is laid in the middle will mix in the courfe of work- ing, but none of it fhould be brought to the top. This laft trenching fliould be at leaft "fix weeks before the border is plant- ed, in order that the ground may be well fettled, HALF a year at leaft before planting make "up the following cornpofition, the quantity according to the number of vines that are to be planted : Two loads of good frefh loam from a pafture, two loads of rotten wood that is become earth, one load of .(harp fand, and one load of very rotten dung ; lay it in a long ridge four feet broad at bottom, and quite narrow at top : this muft be turned often, un- til it is fo well mixed that none of the ingredients can be diftinguifhed. If this was ON VINES; was made up m the beginning of winter j and turned over when hard frozen (with- out fnow) it would be of very great fer- toit* . THE borders, compofition, and plants feeing now all ready, provide flat flags or ftrong (late a foot iquare. For as many plants as the plantation confifls of, make holes a foot fquare, one foot deep, and at two feet diftance ; lay the flags or flates into the holes, fcatter the mould that was taken out of the holes all over the border, and lay an equal quantity of the prepared compoft down at every hole ; put into the hole, upon the flag, fo much of the com- pofition as that, when the plant is put into it, the ball may be covered an inch. TAKE the plant carefully out of the pot, loofening the roots gently ; but great care muil be taken not to break them; then place them in the hole eight inches "from the wall, their heads inclining to it ; fill up the whole with the compofition all round ON VINES. t~aj round the ball, as high as the top, prefT- ing it gently with the hand, and fb pro- ceed until the whole is planted ; * then give them a good watering, and a little after cover the ball an inch over the top with $he competition ; fatten the plant to the wall with two or three nails, according to its length ; fpread an inch of rotten dung all over the border, and prick it in four inches deep. IF all has. been managed as directed they will grow a good deal after being planted, therefore muft be fattened to the wall, and have the fide-fhoots picked off as they ad- vance in height and pum out; but as the lower part of the vine will have given over pufhing fide-moots, thofe now at the top may be broke clofe off, as all that part will be cut off in pruning, but is now allowed to grow to ttrengthen the lower.part of the vine, which grows much ttronger than if they were flopped at the top; for when they are, they puih many vigorous fide* ON VINES. THE ufe of the flag is to turn the roots horizontally at their firfr. growing ; and as the plants have heen railed in pots, the roots are prevented from taking a down* right pofition ; and although the bottom of the border is hard clay, there will be no occafion for any rubbifh or {tones be- ing laid in it,, for the roots will run hori- zontally, and never attempt going into the clay. IF cuttings are taken off and preferred, sis before directed, during the winter, and planted, as above, againft either common or hot walls, they will anfwer very well. They mould be planted in the beginning of March; they will do much better than thofe that are raifed in a feparate place, 'and taken up and planted againft the walls afterwards ; but they will be two years longer in bearing fruit than thofe that are raifed and trained in heat, and will not be fo ftrorig the third year as thofe raifed in heat will be the firft. Vines are much better never to be removed. ABOUT N V I N E S. ABOUT the beginning of Auguft nip t>ff the end of the leading (hoot ; for if it is done fooner they will pufh out fo many fide- branches, that it will weaken the plants greatly, and they will ceafe growing. As foon as the leaves grow red, which will be about the end of September, prune them, and moft of them will be ftrong 5 cut them, according to their ftrength^ into one, two, or three eyes ; let the flope of the cut be oppofite to the eye, and a "quarter of an inch above it ; and as you cut them have fome clay at hand (a little fofter than for grafting) and over every cut give a very thin cover ; this will be of great fervice to them ; for the wood O ' of young Vines is foft and fpongy, and their hearts opener than thofe that are come to maturity. THE thin coat of clay prevents wet and froft from penetrating them ; and being cut a little above the eye, although VOL. I. P the 226 O N V I N E S, the froft be fevere, it never damages the bud, which often happens when cut clofe to it. IF the plants raifed in pots are planted againft a fined wall (for they will do very well on common walls, in countries where they ripen without affiitance) it will be of great fervice to add a little fire to them for two months after they are planted, as it would encourage their growth greatly, and ripen the wood much better. THE border which has been preparecf and planted is fuppofed to be a fandy loam, which is certainly the beft; but as that cannot always be had, it will bq neceffary to give (bmc directions for pre- paring all the different foils which can happen, at leaft thofe that are fit to plant Vines in. IF it is a itrong loam, which always bas a hard clay bottom, but in general a good depth of foil, a compofition of light black O N V I N E S. 227 black earth, (harp fand, and coal or wood aihes (if coal ames, they mufl: be fifted through a fine riddle, as any pieces of coal would canker) and it will make the border in good order. IF the ground is in grafs, and a ftrong loam, open a trench two feet deep, pare off the grafs two inches thick, and lay it in the bottom of the open trench ; then two inches of rotten dung ; then fix inches of the natural earth, two inches of the com- pofition, four inches of natural earth, two Inches of dung, two inches of natural earth, and four inches of the compoiition ; let all be well mixed (only the turf at the bottom mould not be difhirhed) to incor- porate the different ftrata, and they will then be fit for planting, IF- the ground is fandy, or a light black earth (the fame materials will anfwer for both) a good quantity of a ftrong loam and rotten dung, the dung and loam equal to P 2 a third ON VINES; a third of the natural foil, and well mixed^ will make it in good order for planting. A HARD dry gravel is thought the pro* pereft foil for Vines of any, and not with- out good reafon, as moft of the fineft wines are produced from fuch grounds ; and I have been informed that the fineft of the Spanim wines are produced from the grapes that grow wild on the rocks without any cultivation ; and from thofe obfervations it was recommended to mix lime rubbifh and gravel with the foil on borders that are intended for Vines, and the directions feem very rational ; but experience and the obfervations of many years have made it plainly appear to me to be a wrong practice. THE grapes in thofe countries are fmall, and tne great heat brings them to perfec- tion ; but even there thofe forts are not efteemed for eating : befides, they are not allowed to grow above three or four feet high, O N V I N E S. 229 high, and to carry a few clufters on each branch, which no ways anfwers clothing a wall of ten or twelve feet high from top to bottom ; the wood, foliage, and fruit muft be fupported to bring them to perfec- tion ; and I have found, by long practice, that Vines thrive, and carry large and good- flavoured fruit, when planted in borders prepared as here directed. I HAVE tried many compofitions, and all hard (luffs, fuch as gravel, rubbifh, &c. and they never produced fb good-flavoured fruit. I have been informed that all the vineyards round Rome are on a fine rich deep loam, and are manured with the ames and the cleanings of the ftreets, and that they produce the beft of eating grapes. It from this hint I firft began to alter the preparation of the borders for Vines, which has been crowned with many years fuccefs. IF the ground is a hard gravel, add four |oads of rotten dung to fixteen loads of P 3 good O N V I N E S. good ftrong loam and eight loads of the natural foil ; mix them we'll, and after the border has been worked all over in that manner it will be fit for planting. IN all the different foils that have been treated of, the fame manner of planting muft be obferved that is directed in the firft ; for the goodnefs of all fruit depends greatly on having the roots run horizon- tally and mallow, and none more than Vines. IF the cuttings raifed in heat are defigned for a hot-houfe adapted for Vines, or a {love that is employed for Pines, the bed way would be to plant them as foon as they are fit, for it is impoffible to harden any thing that is brought up under glafles, fo as to make it endure the open air with- out giving it a check ; and as they are both covered with glaffes, the plants will fufFer nothing by being planted as foon as they are ready. O N V I N E S. 231 THOSE in thehot-houfe that are forPines will thrive and grow beyond what many will imagine ; and thofe that are planted where there are no Pines, if they are managed in the fame manner, will anfwer beyond the moil fanguine expectation. The preparation of the ground for them ih'all be treated of when we come to give directions for the management of Vines in in ftoves and vineries, GREAT care muft be taken the next fpring, when they begin to moot, to keep all moots that come from the bottom rub- bed off as foon as they appear, and none allowed to grow but thofe from the buds left in pruning. They mould be carefully kept to the wall, and all the fide-branches nipped off, and allowed to run to the end of July ; they mould then be flopped. There will be fome little clutters of grapes this year ; but the encouragement of the Vines is the only thing to be re- garded, fo that there mould be moderate fires kept. P 4 I FOUND O N V I N E S. I FOUND by the experience of many years that moderate fires, which would bring the fruit to perfection in September, are a great advantage to young vines, as they ripen the wood, and make them fit for pruning early in autumn. \ YOUNG plants that are vigorous grow much longer than old ones, and when they have no affiftance they are not fit to cut till late in the feafon, which is of very bad confequence to them ; for they fhould not be pruned at a time when there is a pro- bability of froft, but it mould not be de- ferred till fpring ; for although they are late in mooting, if they are pruned any time in March, which is as foon as it can be done with fafety, and at that time they have no appearance of vegetation, yet as foon as they begin to pufh (and fometimes before) they will bleed much, although every gardener knows how to flop their bleeding, and may prevent their receiving any damage ; yet their bleeding, when put in fpring, fhews evidently it is wrong, as O N V I N E S. 233 as they never bleed when cut in the autumn. 4 IF the wood is not fufficiently ripened by the end of July (which it generally is) keep on the fires ten days longer ; then let them out gradually, and they will be fit to prune in the middle of September, without danger, as the frofts feldom are very hard nt that feafon. THE Vines will now be ftrong and vigorous, and, at this cutting, every fixth plant may be left a yard long, and thofe between to three, four, and five eyes, ac- cording to their ftrength, JN order to get the wall covered with bearing wood, cut them floping as before directed, and nail thern'; then fpread fome very rotten dung four feet broad from the wall, and prick it in with a dung fork (a fpade fhould never be ufed nearer than four feet of the wall) ; then all is finiihed for this feafon. THE O N V I N E S. THE next fpring, about the end of March, make on the fires, flow at firft, but increafe them gradually, fb that when the Vines have fhot about an inch the walls fhould be milk- warm all over, and mould never be much hotter. RUB off all branches that attempt to fhoot from any part of the Vine, except from the eyes left in pruning ; carefully nip off the fide-branches, and keep the young (hoots nailed as they grow. THERE will this year be a tolerably good crop of grapes ; and as foon as they can be diftinguifhed, mark the wood for next year, which mould be the moot next the old wood ; and when thofe that have fruit, and are not for next year's wood, are grown two or three joints beyond the fruit, top them ; but thofe that are defigned for the next year's wood, although they Jiave fruit, muft not be flopped before the latter end of July, which will caufe them to grow ftrong and vigorous for next year's crop. O N V I N E S. 235 THE fruit on them will be fmaller and hter than thofe that were {topped, but they will come to fucceed the others, and it will be a great advantage to the wood. WHEN the fruit is out of blofibm, and as large as a pin's head, if the weather is dry and warm, they mould be watered twice a week ; but if there be mowers, once a week will be fufficient, until the fruit is come to its fize, after which it . mould have no more water at bottom ; but if the weather is very dry, and there is little dew, if the whole wall was fprinkled in the evening, once a week, it would in- creafe the fize of the fruit. THERE is nothing further requifite until pruning time, but to keep them clean of all moots that attempt to moot from the old wood and the fide- branches, which murr, neyer be neglefted. |T would he of great advantage to both fruit 236 O N V I N E S. fruit and Vines, at the beginning of the year to lay fome fhort grafs clofe to the wall, four feet broad and two inches thick. This will keep them moift after watering, and prevent the ground from cracking, which frequent watering occafions ; for if it cracks, the roots of the Vines being near the furface of the ground, it would deftroy all the fmall fibrous roots, and greatly damage the fruit, and retard their growth, WHEN the grapes are all mewn, and the next year's wood fixed on, if there are any ihoots that have no fruit, pull them ofF. If they come clean off (as they fhould) they will leave a fmall hole in the old wood, which fhould be immediately filled xip with worked clay ; for very foon after the moot is pulled off it begins to bleed ^ after which it will be difficult to get the clay to flick ; if it bleeds, it will hurt all the fruit on that branch, and greatly weaken the Vine. ON VINES. 237 this method there will be no ufeiefs wood on the wall to weaken the tree, nor to croud the branches that bear fruit, or thofe that are for next year's wood, which Is often the cafe. EVERY priming feafon fome of thofe that have long bare wood may be cut down ; fo that by cutting Ibme down every pru- ning, the bottom of the wall may be kept a? well covered with ftrong wood as any part of it. A great quantity of good cuttings cannot be had from a well-managed wall ; but when many plants are wanted, if the fide-branches of thofe that bear fruit are nipped off at a joint, as directed for the wood of next year, there may be a good many got. THE fruit being all gathered, and the pruning feafon come, the loweft (hoot on the plant of all thofe Vines that were left fix feet long lad pruning mould be cut to .four eyes long, .to keep the bottom of the wall in good bearing wood ; and the top moot O N V IN E S. fhoot of the fame plant to five or fix eyes* to fill the middle of the wall with young wood ; and all the moots between the top and bottom fhoot cut off clofe to the laft year's wood. There mould alfo, at this pruning, be fome more moots, fix feet long, laid in exactly in the middle between thofe before left. ALL the other branches mould be cut to five and fix eyes, according to their ftrength ; obferving that a weak fhoot fhould never be left with more than three eyes. As foon as the Vines are pruned, let them be nailed, the border cleaned, and the ground forked out four feet broad from the wall ; the other part of the border dunged two. inches thick with very rotten dung that has been turned feveral times, and is very mellow : this mould be dug in with the fpade. WHEN the Vines begin to fhoot next O N V I N E S. 239 fpring, great care muft be taken to rub off all moots fpringing from the old wood * for thofe moots that are laid in long, and had the branches cut clofe to the old wood, will puih out many moots at every ampu- tation, and many will alfb fpring from other places on the old wood, which mufl *iever be fufFered to grow. THE keeping clean, and pinching off the fide-branches, is every year the fame, fo need no more to be repeated. ON the proper difpofition of the wood at this feaibn depends the beauty and re- gularity of next jear; fo that great at- tention mould be had to the following directions. THERE being now on the wall two forts of long moots, one two years old, which has a young moot of five eyes at bottom, and another much of the fame length at top, the eye next the old wood mould be marked for next year's wood on. the. low moot, O N V I N E . fhoot, to fupply the bottom of the wall ; and the fifth or lafl eye on the top fhootj to furnifh the top of the wall. THE laft laid in fhoot, which is all young wood, mutt have the lowefl and higheft eyes encouraged for next year ; and all the other plants on the wall mould have the eye next the old wood trained for next feafon. THERE will be fome fhoots that have no fruit on them ; if they are not marked for next year's wood, they mould be pulled off to give air to the fruit and wood : there will be a hole in the old Vine where the moot came out, which muft inftantly be filled with we'll- worked clay ; for if not flopped it will foon begin to bleed, after which it will be difficult to make the clay flick. If it be allowed to bleed it weakens the Vine and fpoils the fruit. ALL the branches that have fruit, arid are ON VINES. 241 are not for next year's wood, fhould be flopped as foon as they have run two eyes beyond the laft clufter ; thofe for wood fhould not be flopped before the end of July. THE next pruning the wall will be full of good bearing wood, fo that it fhould be left regular, and the fhoots cut to four, five, and fix eyes, according to their Strength. There fhould this feafon be fome rotten dung fpread four feet broad from the wall, and forked as before directed. IF Vines are thriving, and carry great crops of fruit, they will only require dung every other year after the fourth ; hut it will be better to dung one year half the breadth of the border next the Vines ; then mifs a year, and dung the other half. THERE is now only one difficulty re- maining in the "management of Vines on walls, and that is to keep the bottom of VOL. I. Q the O N V'ftt-E S. the wall full of good bearing wood, which it is impoifible to do if the Vines are planted at a great diftance. THERE was a neceffity to run fome {hoots a great length, to furnifh the top of the wall until the other wood mounted gradually, which it is now fuppofed tc have done, THOSE branches that were lakl in fir: feet long, and at fix feet difbmce, having one moot at bottom and another at top faved for wood, and of confequence the middle being now all bare, cut them down- to the ground ; thofe cut down will pufh out inany ihoots from the bottom, which mufl be all pulled up but one of the flrongeft on each plant, and it will be a fine ftrong moot for next year. THE next pruning feafon there fhould be fome more of the long moots cut down, and managed in the fame way as in the others; and every year there will be fome O ft VINES. 243 old plants that may be cut dawn, fo that' the wall may be Rept in good bearing wood at the bottom for many years. There' is no difficulty in keeping the middle ane little or no frpit ; and if they \ve;c all cut long, there would * }}e fo much \vood that the wall would be erouded, and not have room Sufficient to lay ON V I-N E S. 347 3ay In the wood, fo as to have proper air, which would fporl the next year's crop ; but by this management there will be a good deal of fruit, and the Vines remain in good order for the next year: and here it will be sbfolutely necefTary to pull -orF all barren branches that are not for next year's wood, as there mould be no- thing but what is uieful left to weaken the .plants. IT will not be proper to force them early in the fpring, as they will not then be Strong enough ; but if the fire is put to them the beginning of April, and kept oil that month before the glaffes are ufed, it will be much better for them : when the glafies are put on, give moderate heat and air, and there will be a tolerably good crop ,of grapes, which will be ripe the latter end iof July. IT will do the Vines no hurt by forcing jthem fo young, provided it is done mode^ j-ately ; and as this year the wood will be ripened 248 O N V I N E S. ripened much better nndfooner, they may- be pruned early, and fo have the heat ap- plied fooner in the fpring* THOSE who delight to have grapes very early, mould begin in January to apply the heat; for it is much better to begin early and work moderately, than to keep them very hot, as it does lefs damage to the Vines, and there is more certainty of a, crop ; but it is impoffible to force in fo much bad weather as generally happens in thofe cold months, without hurting the plants ; fo that 'thofe who choofe to have them early in the feafon, mould have two feparate lengths for that ufe. Thofe which were forced early this year fho.uld have no glafles put on them the next year, but fhould have a moderate fire applied the beginning of April, and continued until the end of July, IN the pruning, feafon, that which was forced early mould be cut fhort ; that is$ have few eyes left on a moot, in order that they O N V I N E S. 249 they may pum ftrong wood for next year, as the preparation for the next early crop is. what is to be regarded this feafon, Thofe who prefer a good crop to having them very early, may force the fame wall with glaffes for many years witji good fuccefs. THE beginning of March is a good fea- fon to begin to apply the heat, if the weather will permit. It is much better to have the fire at the wall ten or fifteen days before the glafles are put on ; but it will be dangerous to keep them long with- out glafs at that feafon ; for after they begin to pufh, and the moot is jufl coming out, if the froft mould catch the top of it, all hopes of a crop are fruftrated for the feafon. GIVE a good deal of air every day, especially when the fun is hot ; for if drawn, they drop their fruit after it is formed, before they come into bloflbm. There mould be little or no water given until O N V I is the beft thing I know for that ufe. It muft be three inches thick all round the item, and fattened very clofe. GRAPES that grow very clofe in the clufter are not fit for hot-houfes, for there is often a great fteam rifes from the bark when ON VINES; 271 when in proper order for the Pines, la that the moifture, in dull weather, 's not dried up for feveral days : when the gripes are near ripe, in fuch weather they often rot, if they are clofe in the clutter. WHEN the grapes grow very dole, the clufters mould be thinned when they are very young, and thofe left will grow much larger, and not he fo liable to rot. The large forts that hang loofe are the propereft for Pine-ftoves. This work mould be per- formed in the morning, when there is ail appearance of a fine day, that the wounds may be dried before night by the heat of the fun. This mould be performed with fharp-pointed fciflors, and great care taken not to wound any of the berries that are left. THOSE that ufe covers for their Pine- ftoves are in no great danger of having their grapes' hurt by frofls ; but they are liable to be fcorched by the fun when they are clofe to the rafters. The covering of jftoves is attended with many mconvenien- eies, fuch as breaking of glafs in high winds, ON V I N Si winds, let the covers be of what fort they will ; in wet weather, in treading the fand or gravel into a quagmire ; and in very hard frofts, when the covers cannot be taken off for feveral days: in that time/ perhaps fome hours of fun every day is entirely loft, alfo the expence of time 1 in' covering and uncovering. All thefe things" render it very troublefome. I HAVE not ufed a cover for a Pine- ftove thefe thirty years, although I have had^them urider my care part of that time, even in the north of Scotland. There is no difficulty in keeping Pine-ftoves with- out covers where there are no grapes ; but as they are now introduced into almofl: every houfe, it is neceffary to know how' to manage them without being at the' trouble of covering.- THERE are few fioves for' Pines but' where the plants {land at four or five feet' from the glafs. Fix iron pins of a foot long' three or four in a rafter, according to the breath' O N V I N E S. 273 breadth of the houfe : there mufl be an eye of an inch fquare at the end of each pin, through which place a rod to fatten the Vine ; it will then be fo far from the glafs as to prevent the frofts hurting the grapes, and they will have a freedom of air, and not be fubject to rot, THE Vines hanging thus lower will be no detriment to the Pines, although it will made them a little; but as it is in the fummer months k will be no difad vantage, as at that feafbn there is fun and heat fufficient, although a little fhaded by the Jeaves of the Vines, and they will be all .off before the autumn when fun is wanted. If they have not dropped, they may be pulled off without any injury to the Vine. GRAPES in Pine-ftoves are for the mofl part planted promifcuoufly of early and late forts ; the early have in general their berries much clofer in the clufter than the late, and are not fo fit for the hot-houfe. VQL. I. S I? 274 O N V I N E S. IF the large late kinds are taken into the hot-houfe, they are much higher flavoured than thofe that ripen foon ; for as they pum much later than the early forts, the Pines are put into their proper order for the fummer long before the grapes are of any fiie ; fo that there will he little or no {learn until the autumn, when the grapes will be moftly ripe, As the weather in the fummer is warm, the Pine-houfe has a great deal of air, and confequently the grapes will be much richer ; and as there is no long continuance of damp weather at that feafon, they will not be fo fubject to rot ; there will be this advantage alfo, although they are late in ripening, they will be of no additional expence. THE fire-wall may be forced to bring much earlier fruit than the plants in the Pine-ftove ; for the Vines that are in it will not pufh early, unlefs they are taken out of the {love as foon as the fruit is gathered O N V I N E S. 275 gathered (which is very troublefome, and the Vines are in danger of being hurt) and kept out fome time ; as foon as they are put in again they will pum, but it will be difficult to keep the frofl from the roots if they are put in early. IF the Vines are planted in the infide of the Pine-ftove they will pufh foon and be early ; but it is not a good method, for there they can have no water but artificial waterings ; and although it is done with judgment and care, it is far inferior to natural rains which fupply them in winteri When in the infide of the ftove they muft be kept damp when they are not growing, or the roots will mould and decay* IF the fire- walls are properly built they fhould be fifty feet long for Vines to one fire, which mould be in the middle, draw both ways, and have dampers fo as to throw all the heat one way or both, as (hall be neceffary. One fide may be planted with the early kinds, and the other with a later fort, that will ripen on S 2 fire- 276 ON VINES. fire-walls without glafles. As they will be every other year without covers, it would be wrong to plant them with any Vines that will not ripen without glafles* THE fide that has the early Vines may be forced early (two months) before the others, for it will be no detriment to them, as all the heat may be kept from the fide that is not covered by the damper. It will be much better for the late Vines not to force them before the beginning of March, as then there will be more certain- ty of a crop, and the fruit will be much better. To have a regular fucceflion for forcing, there fliould be two lengths of fire-wall in Vines, and one half of each length planted with the early forts, and the other half with late. IF the early forts are forced to bear very early, the glafles may then be put on the other fide, and all the heat thrown that way. If it is a cold wet feafon it will be of great fervice. O N V I N E S. 277 THE black, red, white, and brown Frontiniacs are all very fit for a hot-houfe, having full as high a flavour as when on an open wall with fire ; the pores of .the berries are much clofer, and do not admit of lo much of the fleam when the houfe is fhut up at night as moll: of the other forts of grapes ; they never ripen equally without glafs, and I have had them in greater perfection in Pine^ftoves than I could ever bring them to on fire-walls amongft other Vines. They all grow very clofe in the charter, fo mould be thinned, as before directed, when very young, which adds to their fragrancy, as then the fun gets to all parts of the berries. The red Frontiniac is the highefl flavoured, and the moft efteemed of any known in Eng- land. THE Tokay is an exceeding good grape for the hot-houfe : it is the only proper place for it, as it is fo long in ripening after the other forts, that it would caufe the fire and glafles to be kept on at leaft a mouth ON V I N E . month longer, which would be a detri* ment to the other plants ; and, befides the expence, they will not come to perfection without glafs, fo are not fit to be planted where there is not a conttant cover. THE brown Hamburgh is a fine large grape, and grows to a great weight, even four, five, and fometimes fix pounds a clutter ; but it is not of fo high a flavour as thofe already mentioned, yet is a good fruit. THE Burlake is a fine large grape, and fit for the Pine-ttove. It ripens very late. THE Raifin Grape grows to large clutters; the berries alfo are very large. It ripen? the lateft of all the grape kinds, will hang . long on the Vine, and after it is cut may be kept a month in a dry place where there is a good deal of air. THERE are fome other forts that will anfwer very well for the Pine-ttove ; but thofe O N V I N E S. 279 thofe here mentioned are the beft, and will be fufficient to fupply the table a long time after all thofe on the fire-walls are gone. THE following grapes ripen on fire- walls with or without glafs, but are not fit for forcing early : red, royal, and black Mufcadines -, white, red, and black Fron- tiniac j black Sweet- water, black Ham- burgh ; all thefe are fit to plant on one fide of the fire-wall, to be forced alternately with or without glafs ; and that year the glaffes are ufed, if you begin about the be- ginning of March, the grapes will be ripe in July. THE year the glafles are not ufed, the middle or end of April is time enough to put fire to them, and then both fides may be worked together. The early forts will be ripe the middle of July, and the late will be all finimed by the beginning of Odober. IT 2.So O N V I N E S. IT will be proper to plant the following grapes on fire-walls by themfelves, and they may be forced every other year early, fo as to be ripe the beginning of May ; the Sweet-water, brick-coloured Grape, black Clufler, white Mufcadine, and the Miller's Grape ; many others will anfwer as well, and perhaps much better, than thofe here mentioned, but I have not had them under my care. I SHALL not mention any other forts of Vines, as I do not copy from any book, but only relate what has fucceeded under my own immediate direction. THE laft-mentioned grapes -will all ripen on common walls in the fouth of England^ and come to perfection. END of VOL. I. University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. NQN X MAR 1 6 T REC'D LD-URL DUE 2 WKS FROM DAT APR 20 99 RECEIVED ,BLH UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 000107953 2 Ui