1885.] LETTERS TO THE EDITO'R. 395 



fissures which appear in seasoning oak arc not straight, like a wound 

 caused by cutting a branch off, but irregular, and connected by 

 fibres of the timber, so that the severance of the tissues is not so 

 complete as it is between tlie dead and living surfaces. 



If a branch dies tln-ough slow decay, the new growth around the 

 dead stump closes in gradually, and carries the defect out into the 

 sap of the timber, where it is much less injurious and smaller in 

 size than it is when the branch is cut off in a line with the trunk. 



The advice given on p. 566, etc., is not likely to be followed; 

 first, because of its expense ; and second, because few will care to 

 change the natural forms of the pendulous beech, the graceful ash, 

 the sturdy oak, and the massive sycamore, into one uniform shape 

 of a more or less elongated tennis racket. 



De Cars' remarks on pruning and training young trees are very 

 good. Large branches of timber trees should never be reduced 

 more than one-third of their length, and should always have their 

 life preserved by being cut outside a promising side branch. His 

 advice as to removal of loose bark may be very useful in a park, 

 but in a wood I should prefer taking down any tree so injured, 

 before decay went further. — Yours faithfully, 



Henry Kogees, Capt. E.X. 



Hartley, Plymoutit, \Uh Sept. 1885. 



WHY TEE TREES IN KENSINGTON GARDENS DIE. 



SIE, — When in Kensington Gardens last year, I saw that a great 

 number of large trees had been cut down or rooted ; and the 

 observant visitor must have seen how many have died. Dr. Bonavia 

 of Etawel writes the Gardeners Chronicle, showing how care in pre- 

 ventincj the removal of the fallen leaves changed a barren soil into 

 a good one : — 



" The original soil of this garden was all but barren. By manure 

 and water I got things to grow, and as soon as I had trees and 

 shrubs about the place my constant care was to prevent the fallen 

 leaves from being swept away from under the trees and shrubs. 



"I thus allowed their own decayed leaves to become their 

 manure, and whenever I had an opportunity I brought more dried 

 leaves from the outside, and strewed them under the plants. In 

 this way, in the course of some years, a layer of leaf mould covered 

 the soil, which, while it added to the nourishment of the plants, was 

 yearly added to by the fall of the leaves. By the time I left, some 

 persons were accustomed to describe the garden as a ' tangle,' so 

 luxuriantly did things grow." 



