352 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



The beech, sugar, maple and white pine, from their quantity and 

 local situation, seem to have been the original inhabitants of this di- 

 strict ; and mixed with them, but not so much in groups, were noble 

 specimens of the oak, elm and walnut. The sugar-maples bore evi- 

 dent marks of having been often pierced for their juices. Fringing 

 the edges of some meadow-land in this district, the stag's-horn su- 

 mach, Rhus elegans, presented a most magnificent appearance from 

 the quantit)' of scarlet fruit. 



He was agi-eeably surprised to see such a variety of native haw- 

 thorns, being convinced of their fitness for forming hedges, so very 

 much wanted in that country, and for which many of the inhabitants 

 expressed a great desire, instead of the unsightly snake fences which 

 at present separate the fields. Apparently they never thought that 

 the indigenous thorns would answer for this jiurpose, as they talked 

 of importing haws and white-thorns from Britain. Mr. M'Nab gave 

 instructions to those individuals with whom he had an opportunity 

 of conversing upon the subject, so that they may raise thorns for 

 themselves, as an abundant supply of seeds may be annually procured 

 at no great distance from each settlement. As these instructions 

 may be interesting to others, we here repeat them : — 



" The ft"uit should be gathered about the end of October, care being 

 taken to keep the seeds of the luxuriant growing sorts separate from 

 those of the dwarfer kinds. A ])it should be prepared about a foot 

 and a half deep, into which the fruit is to be put with a mixture of 

 earth or sand. It should be turned several times during the season, 

 and if dry, a little water may be added ; one or two inches of soil 

 being a sufficient covering to ensure the decomposition of the pulp. 

 During the following October a piece of good ground should be pre- 

 pared, and the seed sown as it is taken from the pit, pretty thickly, 

 in drills about a foot distant from each other, or in beds 3 feet wide. 

 In the succeeding spring the plants will begin to appear ; at which 

 time, and throughout the season, they must be kept clear of weeds. 

 If properly attended to, the seedlings will attain a height of from 6 

 to 12 inches the first year. The following spring the strongest 

 plants may be either transplanted into drills, or placed where they 

 are intended to remain as a permanent fence. The smaller ones 

 should be left in the seed drills or beds for another year, when they 

 may be treated in the same manner. In forming a live fence, the 

 ground ought to be prepared as soon as the snow disappears, by 

 making a trench about 2 feet broad and a spade in depth. Along 

 the centre of this trench the young plants shoidd be put about 6 or 

 8 inches apart, and afterwards well- watered and firmly trodden in. 

 Care should be taken to protect the young plants from cattle and 

 clear of weeds. 



" The second year after planting, the thorns should be headed 

 down to within six or ten inches of the ground, and each year after- 

 wards switched up on both sides to a centre ridge, so as to produce 

 the shape generally termed sow-backed ; hedges trained in this 

 form being less liable to be destroyed by snow resting upon them 

 than when cut flat at the top." 



