1885.] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 387 



HOW LIGHTNING STEIKES TREES. 



CIIR, — -Pteferring to the article on this subject in February's 

 VD Forestry, I think the differences of effect are due to whether 

 the bark is wet or dry at the time the tree is struck. I have 

 seen all the cases cited in the article, and I remember once 

 seeing a huge deodar shattered into thousands of splinters of 

 every size, from the yard-arm of a large ship to a lucifer match, 

 close to my camp. 



The tree when absolutely dry is nearly a non-conductor, and my 

 impression is that it is then shivered to atoms. When one side 

 is dry and the other wet, then I think the half of the tree may 

 have been destroyed, while the other half remained scatlieless ; 

 and, again, when heavy rain has preceded the lightning, and the 

 bark is thoroughly wet, the tree becomes a good conductor, and 

 the injury is either not visible, or is confined to a narrow groove, 

 like a knife-cut, extending often down the greater part of the 

 length of the trunk. G. F. Pearson. 



DowxTON, \ith Fehriuiry 1885. 



RE OSIER CULTIVATION. 



SIK, — I am sorry to say that since my report to the Highland 

 and Agricultural Society was written, osier-cultivation has 

 ceased to pay, from the same causes that wheat-growing has ceased 

 to pay, viz. foreign imports, aided by railway preferential rates, 

 which enable a French, Belgian, or Dutch grower to deliver his 

 produce into the large inland towns of England at a lower rate per 

 ton than a grower can from the centre of the railway S3'stem. The 

 wisdom of this policy of self-extinction will some day be called into 

 question. Meantime I abstain from comment. I may, however, 

 remark that to i)eel, sort, and prepare a ton of osiers (the average 

 produce of an acre when peeled) for market costs the home grower 

 about £8. The foreign grower can do it for about £3, an 

 advantage of about £5 per acre. Indeed, I would not, under the 

 disadvantages we are placed, advise any one to plant osiers. The 

 cost of peeling osiers has been materially increased since the School 

 Board rules were so strictly enforced; in fact, the cost has been 

 nearly doubled. W. Scaling. 



Basford, Notts, February 12, 1885. 



