most as big more as my waste; but then you must
totally disbranch him, leaving only the summit intire; and being careful
to take him up with as much earth as you can, refresh him with abundance
of water. This is an excellent, and expeditious way for great persons to
plant the accesses of their houses with; for being disposed at sixteen
or eighteen foot interval, they will in a few years bear goodly heads,
and thrive to admiration. Some that are very cautious, emplaster the
wounds of such over-grown elms with a mixture of clay and horse-dung,
bound about them with a wisp of hay or fine moss, and I do not reprove
it, provided they take care to temper it well, so as the vermine nestle
not in it. But for more ordinary plantations, younger trees, which have
their bark smooth and tender, clear of wenns and tuberous bunches (for
those of that sort seldom come to be stately trees) about the scantling
of your leg, and their heads trimm'd at five or six foot height, are to
be prefer'd before all other. Cato would have none of these sorts of
trees to be removed till they are five or six fingers in diameter;
others think they cannot take them too young; but experience (the best
mistress) tells us, that you can hardly plant an elm too big. There are
who pare away the root within two fingers of the stem, and quite cut off
the head; but I cannot commend this extream severity, no more than I do
the strewing of oats in the pit; which fermenting with the moisture and
frequent waterings, is believed much to accelerate the putting forth of
the roots; not considering, that for want of air they corrupt and grow
musty, which more frequently suffocates the roots, and endangers the
whole tree.

7. I have affirmed how patient this tree is of transplantation; not only
for that I observe so few of them to grow wild in England, and where it
may not be suspected, but they or their predecessors have been planted
by some industrious hand; but for that those incomparable walks and
vistas of them, both at Aranjuez, Casal del Campo, Madrid, the Escurial,
and other places of delight, belonging to the King and Grandees of
Spain, are planted with such as they report Philip the second caused to
be brought out of England; before which (as that most honourable person
the Earl of Sandwich, when his Majesty's Ambassador Extraordinary at
that Court writ to me) it does not appear there were any of those trees
in all Spain. But of that plantation, see it more partic