EYE 



219 



F AL 



fruit trees, around which, at a distance 

 of six or eight feet from the stem, I had 

 deposited at a depth of twelve inches a 

 quantity of salt to promote the general 

 health and fruitfulnoss of the tree, ac- 

 cording to the manner formerly adopted 

 to some extent in the cider countries 

 for the apple orchards, that these es- 

 caped the honey-dew which infected 

 adjacent trees, just as well as those 

 which had been watrrod with salt and 

 •water." — Jolinson^s Principles of Gar- 

 dening. 



EYEBRIGHT. Kitphrasia. 

 FAB A vulgaris. See Bean. 

 FABRICIA. Four species. Green- 

 house evergreen shrubs. Cuttings. 

 Loam, peat, and sand. 



FAGELIA bituminosa. Green-honse 

 evergreen twiner. Cuttings. Sandy 

 loam and peat. 



FAGR/EA. Two species. Stove 

 evergreen trees. Cuttings. Loam, 

 sand, and peat. 



FAGUS, Beech tree. Four species. 

 Seed, budding, and grafting. Chalky 

 loam. 



FALKLV repens. Green-house ever- 

 green creeper. Cuttings. Peat and 

 loam. 



FALL of the LEAF. Dr. Lindley 

 thus explains this phenomenon. 



" In the course of time a leaf be- 

 comes incapable of performing its 

 functions ; its passages are choked up 

 by the deposit of sedimentary matter ; 

 there is no longer a free communica- 

 tion between its veins and the wood 

 and liber. It changes colour, ceases to 

 decompose carbonic acid, absorbs oxy- 

 gen instead, gets into a morbid condi- 

 tion, and dies; it is then thrown off. 

 This phenomenon, which we call tlie 

 fall of the leaf, is going on the whole 

 year. Those trees which lose the 

 whole of their leaves at the approach 

 of winter, artd are called deciduous, 

 begin, in fact, to cast their leaves with- 

 in a few weeks after the commence- 

 ment of their vernal growth ; but the 

 mass of their foliage is not rejected till 

 late in the season. Those, on the 

 other hand, which are named ever- 

 greens, part with their leaves much 

 more slowly; retain them in health at 

 the time when the leaves of other 

 plants arc perishing; and do not cast 

 them till a new spring has commenced, 

 when other trees are leafing, or even 



later. In the latter class, the functions 

 of the leaves are going on during all 

 the winter, although languidly ; they 

 are constantly attracting sap from the 

 earth through the spongelets, and are 

 therefore in a state of slow but con- 

 tinual winter growth. 



" It usually happens that the per- 

 spiratory organs of these plants are less 

 active than in deciduous species." — 

 Theory of Horticulture. 



With all due deference to Dr. Lind- 

 ley, whose scientific acquirements are 

 ol' a high order, we cannot admit that 

 his theory in this particular is entirely 

 satisfactory. Nature has ordained that 

 vegetables shall perform certain func- 

 tions, and that which may appear to be 

 the cause of change, is in fact only 

 a result of the action of established 

 laws. 



FALLOWING, beyond all doubt, is 

 needless where there is a due supply 

 of manure, and a sufficient application 

 of the spade, fork, and hoe to the soil. 

 Fallowing can have no other beneficial 

 influence than by destroying weeds, 

 aiding the decomposition of offensive 

 exuviaj, exposing the soil to the disin- 

 tegrating influence of the air, and ac- 

 cumulating in it decomposing matter. 

 Now all these effects can be produced 

 by judicious stirrings and manurings. 

 Mr. Barnes, gardener to Lady Rolle, 

 at Bicton, bears confirmatory testimony 

 to this opinion, founded on many years' 

 experience. 



" To rest or fallow ground for any 

 length of time is only loss of time and 

 produce; more benefit will be obtained 

 by trenching and forking in frosty or 

 hot sunny weather, in a few days, than 

 a whole season of what is erroneously 

 called rest or fallow. Trench, fork, 

 and hoe; change every succeeding 

 crop; return to the earth all refuse 

 that is not otherwise useful in a green 

 state, adding a change of other manures 

 occasionally, especially charred refuse 

 of any kind, at the time of putting a 

 crop into the ground. Every succeed- 

 ing crop wUl be found healthy and 

 luxuriant, suff'ering but little either 

 from drought, too much moisture, or 

 vermin." — Principles of Gardening. 



The practice of fallowing appears to 



have been one of great antiquity. 



Virgil (who flourished his grey-goose 



I quill two thousand years ago), thus 



' alludes to it in his Georgics : 



