892 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST.* 



[June 



188 



:>• 



So much for cultivation and manufacture. The first 

 duty of 3s. a cwt. ou dried chicory was imposed in 

 1800, at .the same time as a duty of 6s. a cwt. on foreign 

 chicory. This differential duty in favour of the home 

 grown allowed of growth being profitably continued ; but 

 steadily the excise increased, until in 1872, after the 

 duties on chicory and coffee had been largely reduced 

 by IMr. Lowe, the excise was 12s. Id., and the duty 13s. 

 3d. At that time the import was 101,504 cwt., and the 

 home produce 11,168 cwt. In 1S84 the former 

 has reached 119,355, and the latter declined to 2,952 cwt. 

 At the present time the growth of chicory, as an agri- 

 cultural interest, in almost extinct. Previous to 1860 — i.e., 

 about 1852 — there were fully 1,000 acres under cultivation 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of York. No doubt coffee 

 is not consumed so largely per head now as formerly, 

 tea being more commonly used. Mr Foster, after estimating 

 the acreage near York in 1867 at about 515 acres, states 

 that last year the whole of the English crop only occupied 

 about 74 acres. Putin another way, he says: "Prior to 

 1S60, for every ton we grew at home the foreigner 

 (Belgians) grew us one abroad ; prior to 1867, for every 

 ton we grew at home the foreigner grew us four abroad ; 

 prior to 1884, for every ton we giew at home the foreigner 

 grew us 40^ tons abroad." By way of restoring the 

 home trade, Mr. Foster suggests a return to a differential 

 duty in our favour of from 3s. to 5s. ton, and a cheaper, 

 simpler, and less annoying system of collection. One 

 argument for reduction of duty is that it is so very 

 large in proportion to actual value. The duty on coffee, 

 or rather the Customs, are only 14s. a cwt., although 

 the value of the article is three times greater. As regards 

 collection, the lecturer suggests that it should be after 

 the article reaches the manufacturer's hands, as in the 

 case of beer, or by a label duty. Mr. Foster declared 

 his intention of bringing the matter before the Chancellor 

 of the Exchequer. If a differential duty was objected 

 to on free-trade principles, he would advocate the immediate 

 and total abolition of the chicory duty — a small matter, 

 as the total revenue from all sources only reached .£75,000 

 I. isl year ; as he believes that, with entire freedom from 

 restrictions and interference in drying and manufacture, 

 with a lair held and no favour, we could, as we have 

 done in the past, hold our own successfully against all 

 foreign competition. —Field. 



RENOVATING OLD TREES. 



Trees are like human beings ; after they reach a 

 certain age or state of debility, no restorative measures 

 that one can employ will produce any lasting improvement. 

 But in the case of trees that are still comparatively 

 young, and which may be suffering from neglect of some 

 kind, ami are not deficient in vitality, renovating measures 

 are often attended with most satisfactory results. It 

 takes time, however, and patience must be exercised. 

 AVliat has been going wrong, may be for years, will require 

 a proportionately long period to be put right again, but 

 the progress of improvement will he more rapid every 

 year, This is owing to the peculiarities of tree growth. 

 Improvement always, of course, takes the shape of 

 better growth, healthy foliage, and stronger wood. These 

 in turn deposit fresh layers of tissue, which promote a 

 more active circulation of the juices every season, the 

 effects of which are observable in the more rapid distention 

 of the trunk and limbs, and a proportionate increase in 

 the roots, till, in time, the tree grows out of its debility 

 and recovers. Old fruit trees are oftener operated upon 

 in this way than other subjects, and then- are few 

 gardeners who are not familiar with examples of old or 

 feeble vines or peaches, &c, that have, so to speak, been 

 made to renew their youth in the course of a few years, 

 •'eeble-growiug and unhealthy trees are, as a rule, the 

 result of starvation, bad soil, or unfavourable conditious 

 of the atmosphere, climatic or otherwise. When a tree 

 dies from -old age, the signs are plain enough, and very 

 little can be done to help it, except taking great care 

 of the scant foliage it puts forth each year, and encouraging 

 young growth by every means to sustain the flickering 

 vitality ; but in other cases the same signs are observable 

 in young trees, the causes of which may be found and 

 removed. One of the surest signs of debility is the 



pushing of adventitious growths from the trunk and 

 main branches, aud the dying off year by year of the 

 twiggy terminal shoots. The sap does not circulate freely 

 to the extremities, but chiefly about the trunk, putting 

 out a feeble growth on those parts, which grow stronger 

 the nearer they approach the root. Old laurels often 

 afford very good examples of this. When the tree is 

 healthy, the top is luxuriant; when it is weak or old, 

 the top dies, or makes little or no growth, and small 

 shoots sprout out all over the trunk. Very often, when 

 such bushes are cut over, they push from the base and 

 do well, and if aided by good soil put to the roots, the 

 result will be all the more satisfactory. In fact, renovating 

 measures may be said to consist in the judicious removal 

 of the feeble decaying tops aud branches, and encouraging 

 fresh root action. The trees should be pruned rather 

 late in the spring, when growth is about commencing, 

 and only the really diseased or dead portions should be 

 cut away, unless the subject be one that would be better 

 cut down altogether. This having been done, the roots 

 should be examined, and, if there be reason to suppose 

 that water stagnates about them, the site should be 

 drained thoroughly. Iu such a case, that of itself will 

 effect a cure. We remember once a case of several young 

 trees that were mysteriously dying off year after year at 

 the extremities of their shoots, a wet soil not being 

 suspected as the cause, because the whole ground had 

 been drained years before. The accidental digging of a 

 pit near where they grew, however, revealed the water 

 standing within fifteen iuches of the surface, owing to 

 the main drain having been choked up. We need not 

 say the obstruction was removed, aud the soil aud trees 

 both presented a better appearauce afterwards. But it 

 is not so often that want of drainage is the cause of 

 trees dying. Iu thin indifferent soils the cause is simply 

 want of sufficient nourishment, and drought— both bad 

 in themselves; and the cure is a good layer of fresh soil, 

 common manure, leaf mould, and the like laid over the 

 roots, and thorough watering during the summer, whenever 

 the ground is the least dry. Only those acquainted with 

 such matters know how dry the soil; becomes where the 

 roots of trees abound, and it takes much water to soak 

 it afterwards. The fresh soil and the water will work 

 wonders. The effects will not be very apparent the first 

 season, unless it be in the production of numerous buds 

 and small growths from the older wood; but the next 

 year and years following the progress will be very ftiarked, 

 till the tree quite fills up with youug healthy growth 

 again. This is observable in the case of "all evergreens, but 

 especially in yews, hollies, and rhododendrons, &c. 

 ( '1. oilers, too, reciprocate such generous treatment, but 

 they must not be allowed to go too far, as it would 

 then be almost as well to plant fresh trees. — Field* 



CHINESE VEGETATION. 



[The following extracts are taken from a letter of the 

 Abbe David prefixed to Mr. Franchet's enumeration of the 

 plants collected by that adventurous traveller, recently 

 published in the A r oiivelles Archives du Jluseum: — ] 



From a naturalist's point of view I divide the Chinese 

 empire into three large regions — 1st. Northern China, extend- 

 ing from the Yellow River, or Hoang-ho, to the confines 

 of Mantchouria; 2nd, all Eastern Mongolia, which adjoins 

 the Creat Wall ; 3rd, all that region, generally mountainous, 

 which forms the South of China, including the immense 

 basin of the Blue River or Yangtsekiang. 



NOIITHEHN AND EaSTEKN OlIINA. 



The two first regions resemble each other greatly iu 

 vegetable and animal productions and in climate. The 

 last is characterised — 1st, by great dryness, interrupted in 

 summer by occasional storms; the rare showers of rain 

 or snow which take place in the rest of the year are 

 for the most part insignificant,' and dews are not seen 

 until about the commencement of July after the first 

 rains; 2nd, by an unusually clear sky, with north winds, 

 as disagreeable as they are frequent; 3rd, by the regularity 

 of the seasons — the cold of winter and the heat of summer 

 being rarely broken by abrupt alterations of temperature ; 

 4th, by a long very hot summer, and by a rigorous winter. 

 At Pekiu the severe cold commences suddenly iu November, 

 but the waters of the rivers and sea are not frozen oyer 



