84 



than tlie natural rainfall. During a Iiot, dry spoil, evaporation 



titles equivalent to what it wouul receive trom the entire rainiall 

 of a wet summer, and ypt tlip process will bear repeating in a few 

 weeks. Few trees are more benefited by a generous water supply 

 than conifers of the Cuprcssinae group {Thuya, Cirprcssus, etc.). 

 The cyprcsscti atKew have for several years past been given liberal 

 supplies of water by means of irrigators or '' sprinklers " in the 

 early summer without regard to the natural rainfall, and the result 

 has been a remarkable improvement in their vigour. It has also 

 hud the effect of staying the attacks of a scale insect that was 

 proving very troublesome. Old cedars growing on light soils also 

 derive much benefit from copious waterings during dry spells. 



Mulching. — The majority of places, however, have no water 

 supply of a kind that can be utilised for the watering of trees to 

 this extent. The alternative method then is mulching or /'top- 

 dressing." On the whole, this is more permanently effective than 

 artificial watering, but is difficult to adopt for trees situated on 

 lawns, as are so many nota1)le trees. There is no doubt that cul- 

 tivating the area of soil occupied by the roots of a tree, i.e., keep- 

 ing the surface open, loose and free from weeds or grass is 

 extremely beneficial; and for trees giving indications of starva- 

 tion at the roots a mulching of four to six inches of decayed 

 leaves, loam, farmyard manure, or a mixture of these, will be 

 found of great additional benefit. On surface-rooting trees like 

 beech and horscchestnut the invigorating effects of such a top- 

 dressing are remarkably evident, even during the first season. - 



In the case of trees whose branches do not reach the earth, the 

 •lisfigurement to a trimly-kept lawn of a large patch of bare or 

 mn ched ground would prevent many people adopting the surface- 

 eiiltiyating process. At Ke^^■, where many valutnl trees with 

 Heun, exposed trunks are growing on sha^ed^lawns, a sort of com- 

 promise IS adopted. About the time of the fall of the leaf, the turf 

 iL if,?^, '"T T"^ ^Isevvhere to repair worn patches caused by 

 a IT T ' ''^'' ^ t^ ^r'^ ^^^^f^^^ ^'^ then Vricked over with 

 W^nl t'P ^' ^' f ^ ^' ^'^^^ ^^**^*^^* injurlug the roots and a 

 eTexnnl [7''"^ ""^ "f r^'" P'^* °^ ^1^^ H^' The ground is then 

 nanuriT.1 ? T' ''"\ H''^ ''""^'^ ^^^ following April, when the 



of the w-rW V'l r^"""'^^' ^r^ ^°^P^i^^* ^ ^^li^^iice on the stories 

 eLtldLrll S^"*"'"'^^^^^ "poison- supposed to be 



TalXent W ''^' "' ^^^^^^T*^^^^'^ ^'^ ^'^' of thousands of 

 aiagnincent trees growiin'- mi — ' ■" ' 



survive it-there is no doubt 



survive it— tliovo f. J " r ,,^'* ^^'^ on lawns that manage to 



det^e^lal ?X.Uo°;e';t.. r f t »"T«' "*.?-? V'^ 



■•mli;, the mo "time ',„ i","""','''"'^" ''''™ "'iJisturW,! for a.ea,I« 

 Wome ver, c^,",^ 1, a ; ?V'^ >muu„ovabk feet, ll.e soil Ik- 



ry 111 summer, 



