intelligent part of mankind to study

ours.

To say that the opinions and practices of the bulk of mankind, in regard to the training of timber, have been hitherto generally erroneous, may, and will, to many, appear a very bold assertion; and one for which we have no right to expect, credit, except we can give some probable account of the cause, or causes, why it has so happened.-For it is not pretended but men are, in general, sufficiently ready to adopt what makes clearly and indisputably for their Interest, provided the matter stand fully demonstrated; which it must be confessed has not been the case. Indeed, it appears, that the persons who have treated the subject, had but very slight ideas of its importance. Generally content with detailing old opinions, without examining their tendency, they have, hitherto, done little more than unsettle men's minds,

not only as to the method, but the expediency of Pruning at all. We adduce a few examples.

Evelyn, the honest and eloquent advocate of planting, whose name can never be mentioned without the highest degree of respest, by any man who is attached to its interests, falls unluckily into the general error; for though he extols Pruning highly, he is sometimes contradictory, and treats it in the detail too generally and loosely.

It is of little use to tell a man totally ignorant of such subjects, that it "is by the "discreet leaving the Side Boughs in con"venient places, sparing the smaller, and taking away the bigger, that you may ad

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vance a tree to what determined height you desire," (which is by far the best hint I have found in him or any author upon the subject;) as he advances no reason upon which it is founded. Indeed, if he

had been aware of the reason for leaving the side-branches, he could not have inserted what immediately follows; he says, "Thus bring up the leader, and " when you would have that spread and "break out, cut off all the side boughs, and

especially at midsummer, if you espy "them breaking out*." Here we have a sudden change of system, without any cause assigned, except that of making the top of the tree "spread and break out;" which to a man of experience, appears the worst that could have been given; as he well knows, that nature performs that operation much better, without such interference; and he knows, besides, that its immediate visible tendency would be, to create a necessity for the extra Midsummer-Pruning there mentioned, with other subsequent ones:-a very important consideration; for, if the business cannot be done without such attention, it will rarely be done at all.

Hunter's Evelyn's Silva, p. 473.

We shall not here point out the concealed bad tendency of the method, as that will come in, more properly, elsewhere; but we may remark generally, however, that such directions, from such an author, could not fail to do immense mischief; for, as has been before intimated, if it were discovered that Evelyn had not hit upon a practicable and desirable method of training timber, it was natural to infer the matter impracticable in itself, and hence generally neglected.

It has been on all hands allowed, that, as the advocate of planting, he was singularly successful. How much has his country to regret that he was not the same in regard to pruning; as, in that case, the benefit must have been immense. The different results may, how ever, be very naturally accounted for:

the former required only such arguments as any man of abilities and observation might furnish ;-the latter, a de

gree of experience, perfectly incompatible with his very numerous avocations.That he erred, sometimes, creates no surprise; but that he erred so seldom, is trųly astonishing.

It is highly probable, that, when writing upon the foregoing subject, Evelyn was influenced by the opinion of Lawson, who wrote above two hundred years ago, and whom he quotes, at some length, with great commendation. Indeed, if Lawson's knowledge had been equal to his zeal, the whole would have been well applied.-We have, however, to observe, that the very title of his book, (A New Orchard and Garden,) implies that Forest Trees were by no means a leading object with him; and his manner of treating the subject speaks still more decidedly to the point; for his directions, in regard to pruning fruit trees show clearly he had studied that subject; but his method of training fo