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rate observation, too often to be met with on fubjects relating to rural affairs. For, experience has fufficiently convinced me, that this plant will not only grow, but thrive, in any rich well cultivated foil, (unless in particular circumftances that need not here be mentioned), even although it be of a very dry nature *. It could not, however, in general,

* To remove, in some measure, the prejudice that might, perhaps, arife in the mind of inattentive obfervers against the writer, for the seemingly paradoxical affertion in the text, it will not be improper here, to mention a few facts relating to this subject, that their own future experience and obfervation will enable them to judge of impartially.

Water is not more effentially neceffary to the thriving of the willow than to moft other plants or trees; but only is, on many occafions, incidentally useful, as tending to promote that particular tenderness, and easy penetrability of foil, which is effentially neceffary to the health, if not to the very existence of this fpecies of plants. As a proof of this, recollect, if ever you faw any kind of willow thrive in what

can

general, be made to thrive, if planted in the fame manner as thorns ; nor would it, in

any

can properly be called a quagmire, where the foil is fwelled up with fuch a fuperabundance of water, as to be reduced to a fort of femifluid ftate. Again, Did you ever fee willows thrive, if planted upon a hard, poor, clayey foil, however much the furface may be covered with water? I foolishly, in my younger years, planted several pieces of ground of this nature with willows, but without any sort of success: Again, although it is rare to meet with a sandy soil that is fo much fubjected to wetnefs, as to be never dry through a whole season, yet I once met with a cafe of that kind; the fituation being fo low, that, notwithstanding the beft drains that could be made from it, the ditches were never dry. Willows were planted upon the face of the ditch, fo as never to be above fix inches from the water; but the greatest shoots that ever they made in one season, did not exceed fix inches. If your observations fhall concur with mine in these examples, we will be obliged to conclude, that wetness does not, in all cafes, cause willows to profper.

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any respect, be proper to train it up for a fence, in the fame way as has been defcribed,

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On the other hand, pleafe again to recollect, if ever you faw willows planted in a rich mellow gar den-mold, (if the foil was not a hard fand or gra, vel), which did not fend out luxuriant shoots, whether the fituation was dry or otherwife? I am disposed to think that you have not. For, altho' I have tried the experiment feveral times, it has never once failed with me. And, I have frequently had fhoots of willows from eight to nine feet in length, in one season, upon foils naturally as dry as almoft any could be.-In fhort, the refults of all my obfervations, relating to the growth of willows, are, That they will thrive only in fuch foils as are of a foft light nature, which are easily penetrated by the roots of this plant: That unmellowed clays are too coherent for them; and that fand, by falling too closely together, makes too much refiftance to the roots. That rich garden-mold, if kept open by frequent digging, is always in a proper ftate for them :-That banks of mellow earth, by the fides of rivulets or runningwater, which often rifes near the furface of them, by being kept always foft by the natural moisture,

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as best for that plant. The willow, as a fence, could feldom be fuccefsfully employed, but for dividing into feparate inclosures any extenfive field of rich ground. And, as it is always neceffary to put the foil into as good

order

without being drowned or rendered poachy by the adhesiveness of the foil, are peculiarly proper for rearing this plant :-That even clayey foils, or such as tend towards clay, if not abfolutely pure and rigid, when lying fo low as to be within the reach of water, if thrown up into narrow banks or ridges by the fpade, [having ditches between each, always, or for the greatest part of the year, filled with water, will, by this management, be rendered very proper for rearing this plant. Because, in this fituation, the ridge, being above the level of the water, is expofed to the meliorating influences of the fun and air, and being constantly kept moderately damp by the fuc tion of the roots of the plants that grow upon it, the mold quickly acquires that mellow richness so neceffary for the well-being of the willow. Whether these observations are just or not, future experience and obfervation will determine.

order as poffible before a hedge of this kind is planted in it, the easiest method of putting it into the neceffary high tilth, will be to mark off the boundaries of your several fields in the winter, or early in the spring, with a defign to give a complete fallow to a narrow ridge, fix or eight feet brcad, in the middle of which the hedge is intended to be planted the enfuing winter. This ridge ought to be frequently ploughed during the summer-season, and, in autumn, be well manured with dung, or lime, or both, (for it cannot be made too rich) and be neatly formed into a ridge before winter.

Having prepared the ground in this manner, it will be in readiness to receive the hedge, which ought to be planted as early in winter as can be got conveniently done; as the willow is as much hurt by being planted late in the spring, as the hawthorn, (§ X.) But, before you begin to make fence of this kind, it will be neceffary to

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