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In the spring of 1910 the writer obtained from France a 
specimen of Hucommia. It was planted in a sunny portion in 
cultivated ground in a Cumberland garden, situated 200 feet 
above sea level and 8 miles inland. It has grown very well 
and has the following dimensions : height 17 feet, girth 13 inches. 
The severe frost we experienced in the north-west of England in 
November, 1919, killed a fair amount of the previous summer’s 
growth of this tree. Male flowers were observed on it for the 
first time in the spring of 1919. It has bloomed in a similar 
fashion both last spring and this, without any signs of female 
flowers. 
In April, 1911, I obtained two plants from Messrs. Barbier 
et Cie., Orleans One was planted in the open on grass in a 
frosty situation. It did not survive the following winter. The 
other one was put in cultivated garden soil and has once been 
transplanted. It is now 94 feet high and 4 inches in girth. 
In the autumn of the same year I obtained two dozen one- 
year seedlings which had been raised from Wilson’s seed. They 
were wintered in a cold greenhouse and planted in the garden 
the following spring, where they grew well under cultivation. 
The attempt, however, to establish them in the open under 
forestry conditions has not met with success. Seventeen of 
them were pitted, mainly in the spring of 1916, along with other 
deciduous trees on a rough grassy bank. Ten of these have died 
and the remaining seven, though living, are not flourishing and 
may ultimately succumb. The new growth does not ripen 
sufficiently to withstand the frosts of winter and more especially 
the bleak winds of early spring. It would seem that in order to 
establish a plantation of Hucommia, in this part of England at 
any rate, cultivated ground with shelter would be necessary. 
Eucommia, though a quick grower, has not a very satisfactory 
tree-habit of growth. It is inclined to put its energy into sub- 
ordinate sucker-like shoots, rather than into a single main leader. 
These shoots may attain as much as three feet in length during 
one season and are probably induced through the dying back of 
some of the last summer’s growth. The tendency to a spreading, 
bushy, habit may be overcome to some extent by training and 
pruning. It remains to be seen whether Lucommia when closely 
planted would assume the tree-habit naturally and be drawn up 
with a straight stem. 
Apparently plants raised from cuttings produce as good 
specimens as from seeds; though as to the ultimate height and 
girth reached by trees propagated in these two ways, no parti- 
culars are to hand. The plant cannot be raised from cuttings 
in the same easy manner as succeeds with willows, poplars, 
roses, etc. They require to be taken from the current year’s 
growth in the middle of summer and subjected to gentle bottom 
heat. Probably layering might be found a more successiul way 
of increasing this tree. Apparently it is one that would sucker 
freely and by this means shoots would be provided for layering. 
