i 
SS 
n 
P 
is et lacerated.': 
" m 3 
252 
THE GARDENERS' 
CHRONICLE. 
, 
[Apriz 18, 
makes considerable display for awhile. This can 
scarcely happen under the Hamiltonian method : suc- 
cession of suckers seems to imply succession of fruit, 
and this will be found to follow as a matter of course. 
After these necessary remarks, I will proceed to make 
a few extracts from letters feceived up to this time. 
Although the subject does not follow in any particular 
order, I hope the extracts may be of service to those 
who are about commencing the system, more especially 
theamateur. Practical men will scarcely need them. 
Jan. 2.—* My opinion is simply this: the young 
suckers on the old stool ought to be always growing, 
but in very dark weather 65? during the day will 
suffice, and answer a better purpose than a higher at- 
mosphere, supported by enormous fires. With a humid 
atmosphere, they will make much progress even at this 
season, at least my plants do. Dormancy and dry air 
are both positively injurious, partieularly a dry air; 
ihe leaves will become debilitated, and their energies 
so impaired that they will be very unfit to meet the 
exigencies of the plant when the growing season arrives. 
I like to see the Pine-leaf so brittle that it can scarcely 
be touched without breaking ; and when such leaves 
are cut with the knife the sap will directly ooze out 
from the inner tissue of the leaf. In this state they 
are prepared to meet a July sun.” 
The planting out system certainly has a tendency to 
protract the fruiting period ; this however will, I am 
assured, be easily obviated in due time by the use of a 
peculiar compost. 
an, 17.—“ When you cut your fruit avoid as much 
as possible any damage to the leaves. Preserve by all 
possible means your old roots. Young, or stem roots, 
are all very good adjuncts if honestly obtained ; let 
them not, however, be petted at the expense of the 
original roots. If two suckers are left equally in a 
perpendicular position, and the agencies pointed out by 
the Hamiltonian method applied to promote rapid 
growth, they may each be expected to produce a fruit 
as large as the one preceding. Neither can they fail 
to do so in a very few months, if the proper means be 
properly applied.” 
Jan. 27.—“ With regard to turning out plants, I am 
persuaded that my system, as recommended at page 62 
of my book, will answer the best; particularly for the 
amateur and market gardener, as the plants can be 
excited into fruit by an addition of tan, Tan has a good 
effect in keeping the surface of the bed warm ; as also 
in preserving the roots in health. 
“Tt is a well known fact that the surface of a tan bed 
is always considerably cooler than a lower level, and 
when the Pines are planted out in soil, it is indeed very 
much cooler. After the fruit is cut I generally apply 
fresh tan on the surface ; it encourages the emission of 
young roots from the stem without injury to the old or 
original ones. E 
“I hold it of great importance so to place the old 
stools that they may remain for years undisturbed ; no 
matter whether the plants are in pots or not. If only 
four or five young stem roots are produced at each 
earthing or tanning—if only one a year—and the old 
ones carefully preserved, I will warrant the old stool to 
keep pace with the best maiden plant. I must, how- 
ever contend for a special compost of the most porous 
description, otherwise I am of opinion that disappoint- 
ments will frequently occur. Nobody will in the present 
day like to wait two years for a fruit from a given 
plant. This however will be the case from the use of 
improper composts. The plants ought to fruit every 
year, either on one or two suckers ; therefore they can- 
not afford to remain stationary, neither do they require 
it. As soon as the fruit is cut, rapid growth should be 
encouraged, be the season what it may ; this must be 
plished without disturl or ilati 
* Under a properly constituted atmosphere the leaves 
will be moist in the morning with dew, if I may so term 
it. This alone, in my opinion (in a great measure), 
prevents the plant from becoming anyways debilitated 
by a winter's growth. Warmth in the winter does no 
harm, providing the channels of the leaf are kept stored 
with moisture. 
& As somewhat confirmatory of the longevity of the 
Pine roots, I may just state that I have a plant which 
has been turned out five years, and has produced eight 
fruit during that period." 
,In concluding these extracts I may be permitted to 
add that in my opinion the points dealt with in these 
letters, although unconnected in some degree, are of 
immense importance to Pine-growers ; and since there 
is such a conflict of opinions about the best mode of 
growing the Pine, and since also they are grown of great 
excellence under a variety of systems, it becomes every 
one, however successful hitherto, to keep aloof from pre- 
judiee—to suspend his opinions for a while, until facts 
shall be sufficiently multiplied. It is not difficult to 
perceive almost perfect identity of principles amongst 
all our best Pine-growers, although they arrive at a 
Pam point by a different route.— A. Errington, Oulton 
ark. 
VEGETABLE PHENOMENON. 
I nave lately had my attention drawn to the singu- 
larly anomalous condition of an Oak tree in the neigh- 
"Bats Mr ie uide between P'ubotongh and Str 
he only of any 
imity of the trunks will not sufficiently account for. The | put faith in. "Taking this view of the question, we ean” 
long straight branch which shoots abruptly from the 
right hand trunk is so firmly imbedded in the left one 
as to be forced into a semi-cylindrical shape at the point 
of contact. This will scarcely account for its small 
size, for a tree or a branch will generally obtain ample 
compensation for losses by impediments placed in its 
way. There is, for instance, growing out of the rocks 
on the far-famed islet in Loch Katrine, an Oak, the 
trunk of which presses so close to the rock as to be 
semi-cylindrical, and yet it is in perfect health, and 
throws out vigourous well formed boughs. (Kohl’s 
Scotland.) It will be seen by the accompanying sketch 
that the tree either is double at the base, or appears to 
be so, a circumstance weli known to be by no means 
uncommon, and arising with much more probability 
from the close proximity of two acorns, from each of 
which sprung a tree, subsequently united together at 
the base by a forced inosculation, than from the occur- 
rence of a double acorn. Whether, however, this be 
the point to which attention should be drawn, remains 
to be ascertained. At the height of about 11 feet from 
the ground, a seeming branch from one trunk appears 
to unite itself to its neighbour trunk. There would be 
nothing curious in this, could any such inequality or 
suture be detected in the united portion as to justify 
the belief that the parts had accidentally come in con- 
tact, lost their bark, and become the possessors of a 
single system of vascular tissue by a kind of Taliacotian 
process. When this takes place, I am not aware that 
the bark ever closes uniformly over the alburnum, 
which always bulges out in the line of junction, indicat- 
ing an imperfect disposition of parts. Not so with our 
tree. Here, the whole space from the point of union 
to that of divergence into branches is as smooth and as 
uniform as if no such connection had ever been formed, 
whence I am not inclined to believe it an inosculation 
of branches. 
Apparent section of trunks, 
t, in, ft. in. 
Circumference ata ++ $ 10 | Circumferenceatd ++ D 0 
b s s [2 6 
E c. + & 10| Heighttob — ..  ..11 0 
There is, in my opinion, but one way of accounting 
for this singularity: viz., by supposing the tree to be 
single, and not a pair, and that some accident or un- 
usual forcible impediment has driven in the bark and 
substance of the tree completely through during an early 
stage of its growth, forming what is called in Sussex arind- 
gall(aSaxon term I willingly leave tothe discussion of your 
philologiealreadi i qi f this event, 
the tree rose and grew with an aperture-through it, now 
sufficiently large for a man to pass through. It has 
been suggested to me, with equal probability and inge- 
nuity, that when a mere seedling, our Oak might have 
been perforated by the tooth of an animal, the wound 
having cicatrised, without closing its sides ; a conjec- 
ture favoured by the state of the bark and the form of 
the stem. Had the tree been an Ash, it might very 
bly have been inferred that some titi 
h the sketeh does not convey, is the rough and 
te of the bark at the inner side of 
p tru together with a remarkable flatness of that 
part,which the interception of light and air by the prox- 
not look upon the connecting portion as a branch at all, 
or in any way curious, but simply as the superior par’ 
of the trunk of a tolerably large tree, with an extra- 
ordinary aperture through it. 
I understand that the above superstition is not 
extinct in Sussex, or, at least, was not 50 years ago» 
since there is a man in this place now, who was passe 
when an infant through an Ash tree at Todhurst for 
hernia. The process was as follows :—an Ash sapling 
was chosen, and split up the stem ; between the two 
sides, forcibly held apart, the child was drawn, and then 
the stem was allowed to resume its natural condition; 
in order that it might grow together again, ligatures 
being bound about the tree to hasten the process. It 
was then gravely announced that as the tree healed, so 
would the ehild's health improve. 
There is certainly a simple experiment which would 
make all hypothesis superfi that of displaying a 
section of the tree above and below the joining ; but in 
the case of a fine tree of 80 years old, this is not to be 
thought of. If inosculation has taken place, the cone 
nected parts will be found to contain two sets of con- 
centrie circles, whilst the two stems will present the 
usual appearances. If a rind-gall has oecasioned the 
phenomenon, then the divided trunk would afford the: 
curious spectacle of incomplete and very irregular rings» 
the pith, if any, being close to the inner side of the cir- 
cumference. Some may believe, if they please, that we 
have here an analogy in the vegetable world to that 
inexplicable mystery in the animal creation, the Siamese” 
twins. 
I do but submit this paper, as a case, to the readers 
of the Gardeners’ Chronicle, in the hope of possibly 
eliciting either parallel instances, or some more satis~ 
factory explanation than those attempted here.—J’, Ae 
Maileson, Pulborough, Feb. 3. 
SELECT PLANTS FOR BEDDING OUT, &c. IN 
FLOWER-GARDENS. 
(Continued from page 236.) 
2. LOBELIA ERINUS COMPACTA.— Though I stated ia 
my last Paper that this was less valuable than L. erinus 
grandiflora for forming large masses, it may, neverthe- 
less, be successfully adopted for producing a genero 
effect to any extent, and from its. close, partially upright 
growth, it is exceedingly suitable for edgings to flower 
borders and parterres. To enable it to withstand heavy 
rain and wind, an artificial support of wirework, similar 
to the annexed outline, four or six ine 
in width, with lower prongs or teeth. 
to fix it in the ground, should be placed: 
parallel with the plants, about an inch and a hal 
distant on each side. The close habit and pro- 
fusion of blossoms, together with the slender stem 
of this variety, require some such support, in the 
absence.of which the cherished anticipation of a sum- 
mer's hope may in a great measure be sacrificed it 
a very short time. 
- LOBELIA ERINUS COMPACTA ALBA.—This is a re- 
cently-introduced variety. Its habit partakes of bo 
L. erinus grandiflora and L. erinus compacta, being 
nearly upright, less branching than the former, and les 
compact than the latter, but more robust, and allied to 
it by a similar pale green, but healthy appearance. 
Its pure white flowers are produced abundantly, ren- 
dering it a valuable addition to the flower garden, 
whether for general effect or for edgings, contrasting 
well with other evergreen plants of similar, habit 
throughout the autumn.. In adapting Lobelia erinus 
and its varieties for edgings, the best effect may be ob- 
tained by extending a garden line over the weak growth 
to the limits required, and pruning it off with a knife o 
hand clippers. The upper growth may also he re- 
stricted in a similar manner. Where the plants are 
intended to bloom again in autumn, the weak tops © 
the fore-shoots should be shortened only in proportion 
as the season appears favourable to a maturity of the 
after-growth. A partial but uniform restriction of tlie 
side growth alone will generally be found equal to a? 
increased amount of bloom. 
4, CHJENOSTOMA POLYANTHA.— This is a greenhouse 
plant, of a slender, partially upright habit, attaining 
from 9 to 12 inches in height, and readily trained to & 
dwarf and compact growth. It forms a valuable addi- 
tion to the flower-garden, being well adapted for beds, 
or for individual effect upon rock-work, producing * 
profusion of purplish-lilae flowers, with a yellow eye oF 
centre, during the months of July, August, September; 
and October. From its extreme disposition to form 
p fü buds, a rigid adl o the rule 
for obtaining a vigorous undergrowth, by shortenibg 
ities of its f shoots, is indi bl 
E 
e P 
The cultivator will readily recognise in this plant 9 
similarity in character to the useful Lyperia peduncu- 
lata and p. alba (Buchnera pedunculata.) The latter, 
though a more robust plant, is inferior to the former; 
when properly “got up,” in its larger and more lively- 
coloured flowers, and in its natural tendency to exce" 
sive fertility ; so much so, that I anticipate nothing le85 
thau that an entire restriction of one or two 
from bloom will give a supply for successive seasons 
In common with many others, this interesting ‘plant, 
often seen to disad ge in the greenhouse during the 
spring months, with its prematurely scattered bloom 7 
it i hel e of those attumnal ornaments 
p 
people had trained it up in this singular manner, for the 
purpose of passing their maimed, their balt, and their 
blind through the chasm ; a process which numbers of 
our modern Sussex “ dames” are quite antique enough to 
it is, n 
which contributes its share of interest when our summe 
friends are gone, and which, if less gay, is more, on. 
stant, and, like those objects in Nature whose highes 
qualities are only discernible in a strong light, it love? 
» 
| 
| 
| 
