780 MISCELLANEOUS. [April 



as the result of further search, I found an unmistakable berry, ripe 

 and sound, containing hard nuts, and therefore, in all probability, 

 fertile. Finally, before leaving these waterers, which numbered 

 about thirty trees, 4 to 5 feet high, I found another male flower, 

 and another perfect berry. My companion in this exploration was 

 Mr. Dartnall, then manager of the nurseries at Kingston, and I 

 asked him to keep in mind what he had seen. Now I can say 

 without hesitation that trees producing both male and female flowers, 

 or hermaphrodite flowers, are scarce. The holly, like some nobler 

 organisms, is either male or female ; very rarely does the individual 

 tree represent both sexes. It may be assumed, therefore, that the 

 pollen is for the most part carried by the wind, and as there is 

 plenty of it, the fertilization appears not to present any serious 

 problem. I pointed out some years ago, that when young holly 

 trees begin to flower they often produce many male and very few 

 female flowers ; but tliey alter as time goes on, and a large proportion 

 that began life as males become wholly female wlien more mature. 

 Thus it happens that in an old plantation of common Aqaifolium, a 

 large proportion prove fruitful, but here and there we find a male that 

 of course shows no berries. — Shirley Hibherd in " Gardeners' Chronicler 



FoKEST TREES are now felled in America with dynamite. A 

 cartridge of the explosive substance is placed in a channel bored 

 directly under the tree to be operated upon, and when exploded the 

 tree is simply forced up bodily and falls intact on its side. In most 

 instances it is found that the tree is not fractured by the force of 

 the explosion ; a large proportion of valuable wood at the base of 

 the trunk can be utilized which is now lost. For clearing forest 

 properties this method is admirably adapted, as it brings up the 

 root of the tree at the one operation, and dispenses with the tedious 

 and costly process of grubbing the roots of the felled timber. 



A New Use for Gladstone's Tkees — Mk. Gladstone and 

 Peterhead Correspondents. — The employees of Mr. William 

 Barclay, joiner, Queen Street, Peterhead, in the course of last month, 

 conceived the desire of becoming possessed of some tangible proof of 

 the tree-felling powers of the " Grand Old Man," and applied to him 

 for a piece of wood cut by him. They first received a reply from 

 Mr. W. H. Gladstone inquiring whether they required a large or small 

 piece ; and having stated that the latter would suit their purpose, 

 they have now received a piece of wood, along with a letter from the 

 bailiff at Hawarden, as follows : — " W. H. Gladstone, Esq., desires 

 me to send you by parcel post a small piece of oak, not exceeding 

 3 lbs., from a tree cut down by the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone. — 

 Yours faithfully, (Signed) A. Seaton." The wood is to be cut 

 up into carved egg-cups. 



