NATURE NEAR LONDON 



gimlet holes. The mercury is supposed to work up 

 the channels of the sap, and to prevent its flow. 



But may not the ordinary conditions of suburban 

 improvement often account for the decay of such 

 trees without occult causes ? Sewers carry away 

 the water that used to moisten the roots, and being 

 at some depth, they not only take the surface 

 water of a storm before it has had time to penetrate, 

 but drain the lower stratum completely. Then, 

 gas-pipes frequently leak, so much so that the soil 

 for yards is saturated and emits a smell of gas. 

 Roots passing through such a soil can scarcely be 

 healthy, and very probably in making excavations 

 for laying pipes the roots are cut through. The 

 young trees that have been planted in some 

 places are, I notice, often bored by grubs to an 

 extraordinary extent, and will never make sound 

 timber. 



One July day, while walking on this road, I 

 happened to look over a gateway and saw that a 

 large and prominent mansion on the summit of 

 some elevated ground had apparently disappeared. 

 The day was very clear and bright, sunny and hot, 

 and there was no natural vapour. But on the 

 light north-east wind there came slowly towards 

 me a bluish-yellow mist, the edge of which was 

 clearly defined, and which blotted out distant ob- 

 jects and blurred those nearer at hand. The ap- 

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