M E S 



M I C 



for dwarfs, have the first shoots from the rrraft 

 or bud headed dow n short in spring, it' necessa- 

 ry, in order to force out a proper supply of bot- 

 tom branches, which nuist be trained as other 

 dwarf fruit-trees, either for standard-dwarfs or 

 espaliers. When for half or full standards, and 

 wrought low in the stock, the first shoot of 

 each should be trained for a stem, topping it 

 afterwards at the proper height to torce 

 out lateral shoots to form the head ; but 

 when wrought high in the stock, the first 

 shoots may either be shortened or suffered to 

 grow, as nrav seem mosi proper, according to 

 the natural disposition of the leading shoot, in 

 respect to its furnishing lateral branches. Af- 

 ter this training for the first year or two, to 

 give the trees their first proper formation, there 

 should not be any further general shortening of 

 the branches, practising ii only occasionally to 

 particular shoots, to procure more wood, when 

 necessary, to fill vacancies, to reduce any irregu- 

 lar growth, or to cut off dead parts. 



In other respects the branches should be 

 principally left at full length, and the stand- 

 ards left to assume nearly their own natural 

 way of branching. See Pruning and Train- 

 ing. 



They are all hardy, succeeding in any com- 

 mon soil and situation. 



The first sort and varieties are cultivated as 

 fruit-trees, principally as standards, but some- 

 times as espaliers for variety ; and are often 

 introduced into the shrubbery plantations. All 

 the other species are proper for ornament 

 in shrubbery or other plantations, where they 

 effect a fine variety^ by their different foliage 

 and flowers, as well as their fruit in autumn and 

 winter, which remains long on the branches. 

 They should be disposed — the deciduous kinds 

 principally in assemblage with others of that 

 sort, and the ever-green kind also chiefly with 

 those of their own sort, arranging each sort ac- 

 cording to its height of gi'owth ; but the last 

 sort, being agreeably ornamental, both as an 

 ever-green and in its numerous clusters of fine 

 red berries in winter, should have a conspi- 

 cuous situation. From its being of a rather 

 slender growth, it is how ever , commonly 

 trained against walls or the fronts of houses, for 

 the support of its flexiblebranches, as well as to 

 exhibit its berries more ornamentally. It may 

 however be trained as a standard shrub, like 

 the other sorts, in the open shrubbery ; in 

 which case it should be generally trained with 

 short single stems, and permitted to branch out 

 upwards into spreading heads. 



MESUA, a genus containing a plant of the 

 exotic shrubby kind; for the hot-house. 



It belongs to the class and order Monadel- 

 plua Polyundila, and ranks in the natural 

 order of Giitt'iJ'era. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a four- 

 leaved periantliium : leaflets ovate, concave, 

 blunt, permanent ; the two outer smaller ones 

 opposite : the corolla has four petals, retuse, 

 waved: the stamina are numerous filaments, 

 capillary, the length of the corolla, connate at 

 the base into a pitcher: anthers ovate: the 

 pistillum is a roundish germ : style c\lindric : 

 stigma thickish, concave : the pericarpium is a 

 roundish nut, acuminate, with four longitudinal 

 raised sutures • the seed single and roundish. 



The species is M. ferrea, Ferreous Indian 

 Mesua. 



In its native situation it is a tree with oppo- 

 site lanceolate leaves, five times as long as the 

 internodcs, quite entire, the upper surface 

 smooth and green, the under glaucous and 

 smooth; on very short petioles : the flower in 

 each axil of the leaves sessile : the petal very 

 large and rounded : the germ within the calyx : 

 the style thick, the length of the stamens : 

 the stigma capitate. According to Rheede, it is 

 a very large tree, spreading like the lime, with 

 flowers the size and shape of the wild i-ose or 

 sweet brier, being much cultivated in Malabar 

 for the beauty of the flowers, which come out 

 there in July and August : and bearing smooth 

 green fruit in six years from the nut. It is a 

 native of the East Indies. 



Culture. — This plant may be increased -by 

 seeds, la}ers, and cuttings. 



The seeds should be sown in the sprin<r, in 

 pots of light earth, plunging them in a bark hot- 

 bed in the stove. When the plants have at- 

 tained some growth, they should be planted in 

 separate pots and replunged in the bark-bed, 

 where they must be kept. 



The layers should be made from the young 

 branches, and be laid down in the autuninorearly 

 spring, being taken off' when well rooted, and 

 planted in separate pots, having the same ma- 

 nagement as the others. 



The cuttings should be taken from the young 

 branches and be planted in the summer-, in pots 

 of light mould, and plunged in the bark-bed. 

 When they have stricken root, they should be 

 removed into separate pots, and be managed as 

 the others. 



They aflbrd variety among other stove plants. 



I'.IICHAUXIA, a genus containino- a plant 

 of the herbaceous, flowering, exotic kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Octandria. 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order 

 of Cainpnnacece. 



Tlic characters are : that the calyx is a one- 



