Dr. Plot speaks of an elm growing near the bowling-green at Magdalen-College, quite round disbark’d almost for a yard near the ground, which yet flourishes exceedingly; upon which he dilates into an accurate discourse, how it should possibly be; all trees being held to receive their nutrition between the wood and the bark, and to perish upon their separation; this tree being likewise hollow as a drum, and its outmost surface (where decorticated) dry, and dead. The solution of this phaenomenon (and to all appearance, from the verdant head) could not have been more philosophically resolv’d, than by the hypothesis there produc’d by the Doctor, who assures me, he was yet deliberating whether the tree being hollow, it might not possibly proceed from some other latent cause, as afterwards he discover’d when having obtain’d permission to open the body of it, he found another elm, letting down its stem all the length of this empty case, and striking root when it came to the earth, from whence it deriv’d nourishment, maintains a flourishing top, and has (till now) pass’d for a little miracle, as it still may do for a thing extraordinary, and rare enough; considering not only its passage, and how it should come there, unless haply some of the _samera_, or seed of the old tree (when pregnant) should have luckily fallen down within the hollow pipe, or (as might be conjectur’d) from some sucker springing of a juicy root: But the strange incorporating of the superior part of the bole, with the old hollow tree which embraces it, not by any perceptible roots, but as if it were but one body with it, whilst the rest of the vaginated stem touches no other part of the whole cavity, till it comes to the ground, is surprizing. This being besides very extraordinary, that a tree, which naturally grows taper as it approaches the top, should swell, and become bigger there than it is below. But this the Doctor will himself render a more minute account of in the next impression of that excellent piece of his; nor had I anticipated it on this occasion, but to let the world know (in the mean time) how ingenuously ready he is to acknowlege the mistake, as he has been successful in discovering it. Deer, conies, and hares, by barking the trees in hard Winters, spoil very many tender plantations: Next to the utter destroying them, there is nothing better than to anoint that part which is within their reach, with _stercus humanum_, tempered with a little water, or urine, and lightly brushed on; this renewed after every great rain: But a cleanlier than this, and yet which conies, and even cattle most abhor, is to water, or sprinkle them with tanners liquor, _viz._ that, which they use for dressing their hides; or to wash with slak’d lime and water, altogether as expedient: Also to tye thumb-bands of hay and straw round them as far as they can reach.