1006 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III. 
The ivy is considered symbolical of friendship, from the closeness of its 
adherence to the tree on which it has once fixed itself. ‘ Nothing,” says St. 
Pierre, in his Studies of Nature, “ can separate it from the tree which it has 
once embraced; it clothes it with its own leaves in that inclement season 
when its dark boughs are covered with hoarfrost. The faithful companion of 
its destiny, it falls when the tree is cut down: death itself does not relax its 
grasp; and it continues to adorn with its verdure the dry trunk that once sup- 
ported it.” The constancy of the ivy has rendered it a favourite device for 
seals; some of the best of which are, a sprig of ivy, with the motto, “ I die 
where I attach myself;” and a fallen tree, still covered with ivy, with the 
words, “ Even ruin cannot separate us.” Ivy is the badge of the clan Gordon. 
Soil, Situation, Propagation, §c. We have already observed that the ivy, to 
attain a large size, requires a good soil; and, also, that it grows naturally in 
the shade, and in a northern rather than in a southern exposure. Smoke, 
there can be no doubt, is injurious to the ivy; but still it endures it better than 
most evergreens, particularly when it is kept moist at the root. Ivy is propa- 
gated by cuttings, planted, in autumn, in a sandy soil, and a shady border; but 
these must be well rooted before they are put out in the situation where they 
are finally to remain, or disappointment to the planter will ensue. It is very 
natural to suppose, that, with a plant rooting so readily as the ivy, it would be 
quite sufficient to put in a cutting where a plant was wanted; but, nevertheless, 
it is a fact, that, unless the soil be kept in a uniform state of moisture, and 
shaded, like most other evergreens, it will not root readily. The largest plants 
of ivy which we have heard of in England are at Brockley Hall, in Somer- 
setshire, attached to old trees: one of these plants has the stem 102 in., and 
the other 114 in. in diameter, at 1 ft. from the ground. In the town of 
Morpeth, in Northumberland, the front of a cottage is covered with ivy, 
which proceeds from a single stem, that comes out of a crevice in the rough 
stone wall by the cottage, at about a foot from the ground. The stem where 
it comes out is about 4in. in diameter, but it gradually increases till at the 
height of 5 ft. it is 62 in. in diameter; and at the height of 9 ft., at the point 
from which the branches proceed, it is no less that 194 in. in diameter ! 
About 40 years ago, this cottage was occupied as a public house, and called 
the Ivy Tree, so that the plant is, doubless, above half a century old. A view 
of the cottage, the ivy plant, and the remarkable weeping ash trees, which stand 
on a bank overhanging it, -has been kindly forwarded to us by M. J. F. Sid- 
ney, Esq., of Cowpen. (See the article Fraxinus, in a future page.) Plants, 
in the London nurseries, cost from 6d. to 2s. 6d. each, according to their size ; 
at Bollwyller, from 50 cents to 14 franc; and at New York, from 37% cents 
to 1 dollar each. Plants of the varieties, and especially of the yellow-fruited, 
are somewhat dearer. 
Fifty other species of the ivy are described in Don’s Miller ; but they are chiefly tropical plants, 
and almost all of them are trees ; which, prebably, when they come to be farther examined, will be 
referred to Aralia, or other genera. 

CHAP. LX. 
OF THE HARDY. LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER 
HAMAMELIDA‘CES. 
Tue characteristics of this order, as far as the hardy species in British 
gardens are concerned, will be found in the following distinctive characters of 
the only two hardy genera. 
Hamame‘us L. Calyx 4-lobed, furnished with 3—4 scales on the outside. 
Ovarium ending in 2—3 styles at the apex. Capsule coriaceous, 2-celled ; 
l-seeded, opening by 2 elastic valves above. Seed oblong, shining, with a 
