230 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [September i, 1884. 



is to keep by pruning the tree " in perfect equilibrium " 

 a system which, it is averred, helps towards the en- 

 largement of the trunk, "the greatest possible surface of 

 leaves being managed in the smallest space." Whatever may 

 be the merits of this French method, there has been a con- 

 siderable amount of head-shaking over it by British forest- 

 ers, whose practice seems to be to prune hardwood trees 

 only when young, and even then as little as possible. 

 Foresters may also have their attention called to some 

 models of tree transplanters which are to be found on 

 tho central table, among the exhibits in the loan collec- 

 tion. The two-wheeler on the janker principle is a very 

 handy-looking machine, and seems likely to prove service- 

 able in the forest. It is stated to be capable of remov- 

 ing trees thirty feet high, and weighing two tons— one of 

 its advantages being the ease with which its lever power 

 can be brought to bear in lifting the tree from the earth. 

 There is also a larger four-wheeled machine — more suited, 

 apparently, for park work — by which trees weighing from 

 two to ten tons can be lifted, a weight which indicates 

 a size of tree which foresters wonld, however, hesitate to 

 transplant. A simple and efficient plan for transplanting 

 shrubs so as to preserve the " hall " intact is likewise 

 shown by the same exhibitor, Mr. James "Whittou, gard- 

 ener, Coltness, Wishaw. In the grounds outside, just 

 beLind the refreshment-rooms, Messrs. John Greig & Son, 

 engineers, Fouutainbridge, Edinburgh, exhibit a tree aud 

 shrub transplanting machine— compact in its construction, 

 and handy in size. The machine in question hav- 

 ing been taken down for trial to Trinity Nurs- 

 eries, lifted the sycamore tree that is shown within its 

 frames clean out of the ground, and brought it to its 

 present position. Closely related to the subject of trans- 

 planting are some instructive figures shown on a large 

 chart hanging over the Dean Forest exhibits, which give 

 the result of experiments carried on for the last hundred 

 years in connection with the planting of the oak. These 

 seem to show, in opposition to an old-received theory, that 

 an oak, like every other tree, is better to be transplanted 

 once or twice before being finally deposited on the spot on 

 which it is intended it should grow. In transplanting 

 the tap root is trimmed, and in that way the growth of 

 root fibres encouraged. 



An excellent exhibit of forestry subjects well worthy of 

 notice, both from a botanical and practical point of view, 

 is that of Messrs. Vilmorin, Andrieux, & Co., Paris, which 

 is located in the north-western transept. From all parts 

 of the world they have brought together quite a museum 

 collection of dried specimens of plants, cones, and seeds— 

 among the principal objects shown being a most interest- 

 ing assortment of cones mounted on black stands, all 

 legibly named. Comprised in it are upwards of 150 

 varieties of pinus, SO different kinds of abies, and numer- 

 ous specimens of araucaria, cupressus, juniper, and cedar. 

 — one singular-looKiug cone being that of the New Hol- 

 land pine. The collection of seeds includes samples of 

 useful aud ornamental trees and shrubs from every region 

 —among others being the teak, mahogany, the eucalyptus, 

 the iudiarubber, and the cinchona, with 70 varieties of 

 palms and over 5U varieties of oaks. In glass cases at the 

 back of the stand are dried specimens of the most useful 

 kind of eucalyptus, leaves, flowers, and seeds being shown; 

 and as illustrating their rapid growth, there are displayed 

 some items of the Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum), and of 

 the Acacia dealbata, grown on Mr. H. Vilmorin's estate 

 in the south of France, which, although only two years 

 old, measure 15 inches in circumference. There are also 

 on the tables a few specimens of various acacia barks, 

 which are now being largely used in place of oak bark 

 for tanning purposes; and as this class of trees is suffici- 

 ently developed in ten years, it seems worthy of notice. 

 The' same firm also show'some beautifully illustrated works 

 on forestry, in English, French and German. It should 

 be said that the space — about 300 square feet— which 

 Messrs. Vilmorin, Andrieux .V Co. occupy in the Exhib- 

 ition building is decorated in an appropriate manner with 

 festoons of cord made from the inner bark of the lime 

 tree, relieved at intervals with cones and pines. Mr. James 

 Barrie, forester to the Honourable Mark Kollu, Stevenstone 

 estate, Devonshire, also sends a well-arranged and repre- 

 sentative collection of tree and shrub seeds, and cones aud 

 sections of timber grown on this extensive property. There 

 are uo fewer than 260 species aud varieties of seeds and 



cones, many of these beingfrom forest trees which do not 

 ripen iu our more northern climate. Among the cones 

 were those of the araucaria, the cedar of Lebanon, and 

 nearly all the rarer pines, together with the seeds of the 

 ash, oak, walnut, aud sycamore. Tho sections of timber 

 shown — also 250 in number — are of excellent quality, and 

 bespeak good management as well as a favourable climate 

 and soil. There is also a sample of charcoal obtained from 

 the English willow — a tree whose charred embers is con 

 sidered most suitable for making gunpowder. The collec- 

 tion is arranged in a methodical manner, so as to show 

 at a glance the distinctive features of each article. 



HEWEIGHING OF TEA ON DELIVERY. 



"We understand that an influential section of the im- 

 porters of tea have agreed to fall in with the wishes of 

 the London Wholesale Tea Dealers' Association iu regard 

 to the reweighing of all their tea on delivery to the carriers. 

 It is obvious that under the old system tho dealers were 

 placed at a great disadvantage, as frequently there were 

 cases occurring of short weight when a chest of tea reached 

 a country retailer. He made a claim on the dealer in 

 London or on the carrier, aud the difficulty of getting a 

 settlement was greatly increased by the want of any record 

 of the actual weight on delivery. It is very satisfactory 

 to us now to learn that in the public sales this week a 

 leading firm of brokers made the announcement that in 

 future their importers aud wharfingers had agreed be- 

 tween them to reweigh and keep a record of the delivery 

 weight of every chest as it left their hands. The bare 

 knowledge of this fact will go far to prevent pilferage 

 or loss in transit, and we can only express the hope that 

 such a laudable example may speedily be followed by all 

 the dock companies. — Home and Colonial Mail. 



The orange tree, and the citrus family generally, are 

 proving to be at home in a much wider range of climate 

 and latitude than was at one time expected. Not very long 

 ago it was confidently asserted that oranges could not 

 be grown to profit in the Australian colonies except within 

 a radius of about twenty miles of Sydney. Facts that 

 can be cited show, however, that South Australia, Victoria, 

 New South Wales, and nearly the entire coast range of 

 Queensland from north to south can, under certain con- 

 ditions, produce this extremely valuable and popular fruit 

 to perfection. It is true that it often proved a failure 

 no matter how carefully planted and tended; and this is 

 the case at the present time in very many localities. The 

 difficulty suggested by this would appear to be in the un- 

 fitness of the soil and situation for its permanently healthy 

 and vigorous growth. As matter of fact the orange tree 

 is everywhere a miserable failure when its roots do not 

 get down freely into the subsoil without hindrance from 

 impenetrable rocks or a sour wet clay. Contrary to general 

 notions, the orange must have free course perpendicularly 

 downwards, or it stops growing and quickly dies back. It 

 roots very freely on the surface to start with, but as soon 

 as strong horizontal feeders are established on all sides, a 

 series of roots strike out at right angles from these sur- 

 face feeders directly downwards, and upon these the long- 

 evity and productiveness of the tree ultimately depend. 

 Failures are invariably traceable to impervious rocks im- 

 mediately under the surface, or to wet and sour clay, 

 neither of which can the orange endure. As a rule it is 

 everywhere thrifty when the deep roots pierce a porous 

 substratum, out of the way of suu heat, and where they 

 permanently escape drought. Iu all probability it will 

 be moderately successful in shallower soils, with good 

 surface mulching to keep the roots cool, and a supply of 

 water for irrigation purposes during dry weather. The 

 is a tree that cannot suffer drought and be healthy, 

 nor can it endure stagnant water within reach of its roots. 

 — Queensland) r. 



SKINNY MEN. 

 ■Hells' Health Renewer" restores health and vigor, 

 cures Dyspepsia, Impotence, Debillity. W. E. SruTIi & 

 Co., Madras, Sole Agents 



