Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 67 



the pines have been shifted, a little below the surface of the 

 tan, close to the curb of the pit. They will then form a beau- 

 tiful edging without injuring the pines, as they seldom grow 

 more than a foot in height. They should be taken up in the 

 autumn, and the pods washed, and dried in the shade. One 

 plant will produce from twenty to thirty pods. 



56. On the Treatment of the Banyan Tree (Ficus Indica), in the 

 Conservatory. In a letter to the Secretary. By Peter Rainier, Esq. 

 Captain R.N. F.H.S. Read Jan. 20. 1 824. 



The Banyan Tree, in its native woods, sends down fibres 

 from the under side of its horizontal branches, which reach- 

 ing the earth increase in size, and ultimately become so many 

 props, or additional stems to the tree. In captain Rainier's 

 conservatory, these fibres damped off before they reached the 

 soil ; to prevent which he conducted them to it in rocket cases, 

 filled with equal parts of white sand, and sifted loam. When 

 the fibres had established themselves in the soil, the cases were 

 removed, and the fibres soon increased to stems of the size of 

 a quill, and were covered with bark the first year. In his 

 conservatory at Southampton, Captain R. has now a Banyan 

 tree with thirteen stems, the only one which he has seen in 

 this country exhibiting its native character. 



57. Further Notes on the Utility of the Grafting Wax, described in a 

 former paper. In a letter to Charles Holford, Esq. F.H.S. By 



David Powell, Esq., communicated by Mr. Holford. Read 

 Nov. 4. 1823. 



This grafting wax is composed of lib. of pitch, lib. of 

 resin, ^lb. of beeswax, ^lb. of hogslard, ?lb. of turpentine, 

 melted and well mixed together. This composition is kept in 

 a fluid state, by putting it in an earthen pan over boiling 

 water ; with a brush it is then spread evenly on sheets of 

 moderately thin brown paper, which, when cold, is cut into 

 slips about three quarters of an inch wide. The scion being fitted 

 to the stock, take one of these slips ; warm it by breathing on 

 it, and bind it round the graft, when it will be found to serve 

 the purpose both of matting and claying. The neatness and 

 convenience of this method, Mr. Powell thinks, will recom- 

 mend it to amateurs, and its cheapness and> rapidity to prac- 

 tical gardeners. 



The grafting wax was used in the comparatively infant state 

 of horticulture, both in Britain and on the continent, but it 

 is now every where giving way to grafting clay, as a substance 



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