JE S C 



A G A 



of May, or the beginning of June, the pots 

 should be removed from this situation and placed 

 up to their tops in the open ground, on a bed or 

 border which has a southern aspect, water being 

 occasionally given them in dry weather, in order 

 to promote their growth as much as possible be- 

 fore the autumn. And as at this last season the 

 plants, from their not being capable of resisting 

 cold while young, arc liable to be greatly injured 

 or destroyed by the effects of the early frosts on 

 their top buds, they should be carefully sheltered 

 by some sort of thin covering. In the early part 

 of the following spring they should be carefully 

 taken up, separated, and planted out in a warm 

 situation, at the distance of a foot from each other 

 in every direction, and during the severity of the 

 ensuing winter be carefully protected in the same 

 manner as before. After this they generally be- 

 come so hardy as not to require any further pro- 

 tection in the winter months. Where the prac- 

 tice of merely selling the nuts in borders of good 

 light earth in unexposed situations, and remov- 

 ing them to spots of ground of the same nature 

 in the following spring, to remain till they have 

 acquired sufficient strength to be finally planted, 

 is adopted, many of the plants are liable to be 

 destroyed. 



As the nuts or seed of these trees are frequently 

 obtained with difficulty, the plants are often pro- 

 pagated, especially in nursery grounds, by bud- 

 ding or ingrafting them upon stocks of the Com- 

 mon Horse Chesnut ; but in this way, as the 

 stocks greatly outgrow the buds or grafts, the 

 trees are neither so durable in their growth nor 

 have so handsome an appearance. 



It is observed in the new edition of Miller's 

 Dictionary, by Professor Martyn, that the shoots 

 in the first species, as has been already mentioned, 

 are not only made with great rapidity, but that 

 immediately on the failing of their flowers the 

 buds at the extremities of the new shoots are 

 formed for the ensuing year, and continue to 

 swell out and enlarge till the autumn ; at which 

 season the covers that infold them are coated 

 over by a thick tenacious juice, that serves to 

 defend them from the prejudicial effects of frost 

 and rain in the winter ; and which, as the wea- 

 ther becomes warm in the spring months, dis- 

 solves and runs off, leaving them at full liberty 

 to expand themselves, without ever hardening 

 so as to impede the process. 



This affords a sufficient reason for never touch- 

 ing the young shoots or branches of the trees by 

 the pruning-knife, as where that js the case the 

 means of the future shoots are wholly prevented, 

 and the beauty of the trees destroyed. 



All the different species of the Horse Chesnut 

 are, from the great regularity of their form, and 



the beauty of their leaves and flowers, well suited 

 for the purposes of ornamental planting in ex- 

 tensive parks, lawns, and other pleasure grounds. 

 When placed singly in open spacious grounds, 

 considerably detached, or in clumps of two, three, 

 or more, interspersed with other trees of^imilar 

 growth, they produce a fine effect, and afford 

 considerable variety. And in very extensive 

 plantations, a tree "or two of this sort may be- 

 occasionally introduced towards the fronts with 

 great propriety and effect. In avenues or walks 

 of considerable length, it may likewise be thinly 

 employed in assemblage with the Lime, Maple, 

 Spanish Chesnut, and other trees that afford 

 much shade from the thickness of their foliage : 

 but when planted regularly in rows, without be- 

 ing blended with trees of other kinds, as was 

 formerly the practice, from standing too close it 

 seldom retains its leaves or flowers well, and of 

 course much of its ornamental effect is lost. — 

 This circumstance also renders it improper for 

 the purpose of forming a close shade where more 

 than one tree is requisite \ but where it standi 

 alone it is capable of producing much shade. 



For the purposes of timber it is not a tree of 

 much value, though it may be made use of in 

 various ways by the turner, as well as for be- 

 ing bored for water pipes, as its wood is durable 

 when laid in the ground. But as it is a quick 

 grower, it may be occasionally introduced in 

 plantations of the timber kind. 



As an ornamental tree, it has been much ob- 

 jected to on account of its leaves falling at an 

 early period in the autumn, and producing much 

 litter. It may also be an objection to it, in ex- 

 posed situations and late climates, that from its 

 producing its buds and flowers very early in the 

 spring, it may frequently be liable to be so. 

 much cheeked by the frosts as to be in some 

 measure prevented from flowering. 



The Yellow- and Scarlet-flowered species are so 

 highly ornamental as to deserve introduction in 

 almost every kind of pleasure ground, in the 

 borders, clumps, and other compartments of 

 which they should always be placed towards the 

 fronts, iu such an arrangement with the other 

 trees and shrubs as that the full effect of their 

 yellow and scarlet flowers may be produced, and 

 at the same time the greatest possible variety be 

 afforded. 



AFRICAN MARYGOLD. See Tagf.tes. 



AGAPANTHUS, a genus comprehending the 

 African Lily. 



It belongs to the class and order of Hexandriu 

 Movogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Liliavece. 



The characters of which are: that the calyx is 

 a spathe common, gaping at the side : the ct>» 



