126 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICtTLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



[ August 13, 1863. 



CULTUKE OF DISA GEANDIPLOEA. 



According to yom- request I send yon the following par- 

 ticulara respecting the course of culture I have practised 

 in growing and flowering Disa gi'andiflora. It is now in 

 bloom here, and a most beautiful flower it is. It has been 

 depicted in the pages of The Florist and Poniologist ah-eady ; 

 but its beauty must be seen to be duly admh-ed. 



The soil I used was good sandy peat mixed with bits of 

 charcoal, and the pot was well di-ained. Although the plant, 

 it is said, does well standing in water, I found ours flourished 

 the best when standing on a pot placed in a pan of water. 

 The experiment had its advantages in two ways — first, the 

 roots were not in stagnant water ; secondly, the pan being 

 kept full of water, prevented snails and other vermin from 

 reaching the plant, as it had two naiTow escapes from 

 being destroyed previously to using the pan of water. It 

 was watered every morning over the foHage with a rose 

 watering-can, so as to keep the plant clean as well as moist 

 at the roots, and shaded fi-om the hot sun, as it is evident 

 that Disa cannot bear the bright sunliglit shining upon it 

 witliout suffering injury. 



It was kept in the front of a late vinery with the front 

 sashes open day and night, and only closed when there was 

 any appearance of frost in winter or strong winds. 



Although I have not found it as easy to grow as a Calceo- 

 laria, it may be grown, and successfully, with a little atten- 

 tion bestowed upon it. — J. Eastwood, Ganlener to E. Nathan, 

 Esq., DidsM'.ry Lodge, Manchester. 



DISEASED LIME TREES AT PEESTOIST. 



We insert the following letter from " A Lover of 

 Trees," complaining of the diseased condition of a fine 

 avenue at Preston ; and as the subject is one of public 

 interest, we have put it into the hands of one of our regular 

 correspondents, whose remarks we append below. At the 

 same time we invite all others having experience in such 

 matters to record it in oiir pages, as we conceive that trees 

 in a town arc too valuable features to be lost without an 

 effort, if bj' anj' exjjedient they can be preserved. 



" In Preston we have a beautiful public walk called Aven- 

 ham Walk, and in it there are two rows of fine Lime trees 

 about 160 years old. These trees are showing symptoms of 

 decay in theii- upper branches. The walk up to the trunks 

 of the trees is gravel which binds together like cement, 

 and, therefore, prevents the rain from percolating through 

 the soil to the roots. The walk and road round about are 

 also di-ained, which wiU prevent the moistm-e from rising 

 above these di-ains to the roots of the trees, and to these 

 two causes many parties attribute then- premature decay. 



" It has been suggested to place six iron boxes round each 

 tree about 6 or 8 feet from the trunk, and at equal distances 

 from each other. These boxes to be 1 foot square, 2 feet 

 deep, with perforated lids, and without bottoms. The gravel 

 walk to incline towards the boxes, so that the rain would 

 enter them and percolate tlirough the soil to the roots. 

 The boxes to be also occasionally filled with liquid manure 

 from the stable tanks. 



" The above remedy is suggested with the view of keeping 

 the walk as at present gravelled up to the trunks. Now. 

 will you be so kind as to inform us whether this remedy 

 is worth adopting ? if not, what other means must we take to 

 restore health and vigour to these old iiivourites ? By sxip- 

 plying this information you wiU confer a favour for which 

 thousands will be most grateful. — A Lover op Trees." 



[It is very difficult to form an opinion that is of much 

 value on a subject like this, without being on the spot, and 

 ascertaining more particulars than those given by the corre- 

 spondent whose letter is inserted above. So many causes 

 sometimes concur in producing disease, that we are not 

 always right in attributing it to one in particular. The 

 polluted atmosphere of most towns, especially manufactur- 

 ing ones, is very unfavourable to the well-being of trees ; 

 besides which, it not unfrequently happens that their roots 

 are ruthlessly mutilated or destroyed by one or other of the 

 many underground works every now and then executed in 

 streets and public thorouglifares — such as making sewers, 

 laying water and gas-pipes, and the many works which 

 are thought necessary for the public good. We once knew a 



very fine tree that had been for many generations a favourite 

 with the inhabitants of a town, and it was all but killed by a 

 thoughtless excavation for some purpose or other ; the 

 material, a good gravel, being carted away, and the hole after- 

 wards filled up with some waste rubbish fi-om a manufactorj- 

 of chemical substances, which, as the sequel proved, contained 

 vei-y poisonous matter, and ruined the tree. This, however, 

 is not likely to have been the case with those at Preston ; 

 but it is not improbable that the long-continued endurance 

 of on unhealthy smoky atmosphere, or some evil of a like 

 n.ature, may h.ave been in some measure the cause of the 

 I mischief. The most likely cause of all, however, is, that the 

 trees are becoming diseased through old age. The Lime 

 tree, though to all appearance naturalised with us at the 

 present day, is thought not to be indigenous, and, conse- 

 quently, not so long-lived as some trees that are natives. 

 This opinion I merely put forth as one of the reasons 

 that may be given for the decay of the trees in question. 

 And although there are, no doubt, plenty of trees in more 

 favoured situations older and stiU healthy, the disadvantages 

 those at Preston suffer from are sufficient to account for 

 theii' more early decay, on the same principle that the bills 

 of mortality relating to manufacturing towns contrast 

 strongly with those of a healthy rural district. Many other 

 reasons for the declining health of the trees might be ad- 

 vanced ; but as they all more or less relate to those given, 

 and, probably, are unavoidable or incapable of remedy, it is 

 needless to follow them out further. Let us, therefore, 

 consider what can be done to prevent a disaster that every 

 one wovild be glad to avoid. 



The ingenious suggestion of our correspondent for sup- 

 plying moisture to the roots is well worthy of attention in 

 other matters as well as in this, and may, perhaps, be 

 attended with benefit when it is cai-ried out. But the Lime 

 tree is one that flourishes better on dry gi-ound than wet, 

 and in more instances than one we have known trees thrive 

 remarkably well, though their roots seemed sealed up fi'om 

 all access of air or water, by the hard-beaten path by which 

 they were overlaid. On the other hand, an aged Lime tree 

 occupying a moderately moist situation, not by auy means 

 a stagnant wet one, is faUing fast into the condition you 

 mention : all the upper limbs are dead, and the Uving portion 

 of the tree has been yearly diminishing, until it now consists 

 of only a few subordinate branches at the place where the 

 main Umbs broke from the bole. This tree has been in 

 a state of decay for many years, and most likely in two 

 or three years it will succumb. Now, there are none of 

 the evils spoken of above affecting this ti-ee ; — it is near 

 enough water to obtain all the moisture it requh-es, and, the 

 surface being grass, it receives all the rain that falls from 

 the heavens. One agent alone, doubtless, operates in both 

 cases : — Old age or infu-mity wiU alike teU in all. That some 

 races are destined to outlive their neighbours is undeniable, 

 but that a time is set for them as well as for the others is 

 also apparent. 



To ward off the effects of old age requires more skiU than 

 perhaps can be brought to bear on the Preston trees, as it is 

 obvious that disease has set in ; and it is unlikely that the 

 authorities of the town woidd like the walk broken up for 

 the purpose of renovating the roots, by placing them in 

 fi-esh SOU, so as to add some additional vigour to the pai-- 

 tiaUy decayed trees. Individual specimens are occasion- 

 ally benefited by as much of the old eai-th as can con- 

 veniently be moved being taken from off the roots, and re- 

 placed with fi-esh good sod. The stimulus thus afforded is 

 useful for a time, and retards decay for a number of yeai-s. 



Now, what appears the easiest way of supplying additional 

 food to the trees at Preston, woidd be to try and feed them 

 at the extremity of their roots on the outsides of the two 

 rows forming the avenue. This is on the supposition that 

 the opening between the rows forms the walk or promenade, 

 and the outer side is more accessible. If this shoidd be the 

 case, the removal of part of the soil, and replacing it by 

 fresh, will be attended with advantage. If on the other 

 hand, hard roads bound the trees on all sides, extending as 

 far as the roots are Kkely to travel, watering as suggested 

 might be adopted, although we have not much faith in its 

 efficacy ; but it can do no harm -with old trees, and might 

 do good to young ones. If the gi-ound is very dry, and well 

 drained naturally as well aa artificially, then I should say. 



