io8 The yournal of Forestry. 



restricted, owing to the high price, and also from the increased use of 

 fir ; and for the remaining counties it may generally be said that to the 

 introduction of fir may be attributed the falling off in the con- 

 sumption of oak. That the true principles of forestry were not 

 generally understood in those days no one can doubt ; that a better 

 system will in future prevail there is every reason to believe. 



New Roots to Old Trees. 



This seems a startling idea, but it is the subject of a communication 

 from Mr. J. Common, Denwick, Northumberland, on the 6th March, 1843, 

 to the Society of Arts, and for which he received the silver Isis medal. 

 He says, " The plan of putting new roots on trees, and taking away all the 

 old ones, is of great utility, for I know by experience that trees are often 

 engrafted on, which, on account of their roots, will not allow the trees to 

 bear the proper quantity of fruit. And the plan of putting new branches 

 on espalier or wall trees is also of great utility, as a branch is often 

 wanted to finish the tree. This method of engrafting may be done at any 

 time between April and August, and either with the present year's wood or 

 with wood of several years' growth. The mode of effecting the addition of 

 a branch to some particular part of the stem is by bending a branch either 

 from the same tree, or from some tree near to it, and inserting the end 

 thereof behind the bark, which is properly cut to receive it, and then tying 

 it carefully round with string ; and it is more certain of taking hold or 

 growing than by any other way of engrafting or budding ; and as certain, 

 or more certain than any other way of inarching." Two specimens of 

 Mr. Common's mode of adding branches, and two other specimens of adding 

 roots, were placed in the society's repository, and are thus described: — 

 " The first specimen shows how a bud or a branch may be put on, 

 and is without any growth, being left loose in order to exhibit the first 

 part of the operation. The second specimen has had one summer's growth. 

 The branch should be cut either with a small branch near to its upper end, 

 or a bud in the same place, to become a branch, and great care must be 

 taken in tying it on. Neither mud nor clay is required to protect it fi-om 

 the weather ; as the swelling of the tree commences the ties must be care- 

 fully removed. Specimens three and four are to show the mode of adding 

 a root to an old tree, — the former pointing out the plan of operation, the 

 latter showing one year's growth." 



The mode of proceeding in this novel operation, if the tree be small, is 

 to plant a small tree close to it, inarching it by bending it over to the 

 original tree and tying it round as before. The planting of the new tree 

 should be done in the spring before the year in which the inarching is 

 performed ; and when from sufficient growth it has firmly taken hold, 

 the old root may be taken away. If the tree to be underpinned be of large 

 size, several small roots are to be planted around it, each inarched. When 

 the new roots have strength to carry the tree, the old ones must be taken 

 away by degrees, care being taken to make an incision all round the bark. 



