STA 



C 756 3 



STE 



unnecessary. If the soil be too wet, the 

 liole need only be half the prescribed 

 depth ; the other half may rise above the 

 ordinary ground level. If too dry, there 

 is no occasion to elevate the surface, only 

 care must be taken not to place the collar 

 of the tree too deep, which is a serious 

 fault under all circumstances. Let the 

 stations extend three feet on each side 

 the position for the tree, thus producing 

 an excavation of six feet square. Two 

 feet in depth is amply sufficient for any 

 fruit-tree, especially for a dwarfing plan. 

 "The soil then should be thrown entirely 

 out, and four or five inches more must 

 be allowed for some impervious material, 

 which we will presently describe. In 

 throwing out the soil, care must be taken 

 to place it in samples, or both labour and 

 matei-ial will be wasted. It very frequent! 

 happens that three distinct samples of 

 soil or subsoil will come to hand during 

 the operation. Of course all clayey, or 

 sour, and badly-coloured subsoil must be 

 rejected, and its amount will be supplied 

 by the new material to be introduced; 

 and if this is scarce, any ordinary sur- 

 face-soil may bo in part substituted. In 

 filling the materials back again, the best 

 of the original surface -soil must be kept 

 downwards, mixing it thoroughly with 

 the new soil ; the inferior or second-rate 

 soil may be kept to dress the surface with. 

 As to character of soil to be introduced, 

 that depends partly upon the soil already 

 existing in the garden, as well as on the 

 kind of fruit-tree about to be planted. If 

 the soil is naturally sandy and dry, a very 

 stiff or clayey loam should be selected ; 

 if naturally clayey, any fresh, mellow, 

 sandy loam, or even the paring of road- 

 sides, commons, or lanes, will prove 

 excellent material. The furro wings of 

 old leys from what is considered good 

 wheat soil, is, however, of all other soils 

 the best adapted for general fruit culture. 

 Whatever materials are used, let it be 

 remembered that the more of turfy 

 matter that can be introduced, the longer 

 will the compost endure. Any sort of 

 turf, even from hungry situations, is 

 most relished by fruit-trees. If, never- 

 theless, no turf can be obtained, and the 

 soil is loose and poor, it is well to intro- 

 duce any refuse vegetables of a dry 

 character, such as decayed bean or pea 

 haulm, ordinary straw, old thatch, or, 

 indeed, anything of a decaying vegetable 

 character which is strong in fibre wnd 



enduring. If any manure is thought 

 necessary, it should be fresh from the 

 stable or cow-shed, as such will endure 

 longer in the soil; merely using one 

 barrowful of mellow and rather rich soil 

 to plant the tree in. As before observed, 

 the most inferior portion of the soil may 

 be reserved to dress the surface of the 

 station with after the tree is planted; 

 here it will do no harm, and will be in an 

 improvable position. We now come to 

 the hard materials for the bottom of the 

 hole ; four or five inches in depth, as be- 

 fore stated. It matters not what this is 

 composed of: broken stones from quar- 

 ries, brickbats, chalk, cinders, or clink- 

 ers, <fec., all are eligible. These being 

 rammed hard, throw a coating of fine- 

 riddled cinders over the whole, or very 

 fine gravel: this secures drainage, and 

 prevents the roots entering to any inju- 

 rious extent. 



STAUROCA'NTHUS. (From stauros, a 

 cross, and akantha, a spine; two side- 

 spines at the base of the principal spine 

 give it the resemblance of a cross. Nat. 

 ord., Leguminous Plants [Fubacese]. 

 Linn., I6-Monadelphia 6-Decandria. Al- 

 lied to Ulex.) 



Hardy evergreen. Seeds, and cuttings of young 

 shoots under a hand-light, in summer, in sandy 

 soil. 



S. aphy'llus (leafless). 3. Yellow. May. Portugal. 

 1823. 



STAVES-ACEE. Delphi'niwn staphisa' 

 yria. 



STEEPING. (See GERMINATION.) It is 

 a very unfounded idea, that by steeping 

 seeds in certain solutions the vigour and 

 fecundity of the plants to which they 

 give birth might be promoted. A certain 

 degree of heat, oxygen gas, and water are 

 all the requisites for germination, and 

 until this process has commenced, no 

 liquid but water at common temperatures 

 will pass through the coverings of a seed. 

 So soon as germination has commenced, 

 this power to exclude foreign fluids 

 ceases, but the organs starting into 

 activity are so delicate, that the weakest 

 saline solutions are too acid and offensive 

 for them. So utterly incapable are the 

 infant roots of imbibing such solutions, 

 that at first they are absolutely depend- 

 ent themselves for their very existence 

 upon the seed-leaves, and if these art- 

 removed the plant either makes no fur- 

 ther advance or altogether perishes. To 

 hasten the germination of peas, beari^, 

 &c., it is a good plan to soak them in 



