70 Present State of the Willows at Rait Hill. 



the end of August. These cuttino;s then contain abundance of 

 the active circulating fluid, which, in its downward course, forms 

 a callosity which presently emits roots. It is this time, during 

 the declining year, which I have found the most desirable season 

 to conduct the operation of transplanting evergreen shrubs. 

 I have thus laid down a general rule for removing evergreens 

 familiar to every body, and mentioned a law upon which it is 

 founded, which is within the comprehension of all. The young 

 shoots, at this season, will have attained sufficient maturity to 

 render their suffering from I'emoval, or from the aridity of the 

 season, very trifling ; as the whole plant will contain enough of 

 the active sap to propel fresh spongioles when located ; so that, 

 after a copious watering, the general appearance of the plant 

 will have sustained little change. 



The preceding statement may be rather loose ; still, my re- 

 commendation is founded on some degree of reason, as in prac- 

 tice it has proved successful. Should you select it as worthy 

 of a place in your Magazine, I may just add that, if it does not 

 render the contending, and apparently somewhat anomalous, 

 opinions held on this subject reducible into one regular and 

 rational mode of proceeding, it may, at least, have a tendency to 

 that end ; and it is to be desired, also, that any further discus- 

 sions on a subject so important as the one under review may 

 be conducted in a spirit anxious only to establish gardening 

 operations on philosophical principles, apart from the tone of 

 vindictive acrimony too frequently adopted in similar investi- 

 gations. 



Bicton^ near Exeter, Dec. 1836. 



Art. IX. Notice respecting the State of a Plantation of Salix alba, 

 of tvhich some Account tvas given, in 1825, in this Magazine. By 

 Archibald Gorrie, F.H.S., M.C.H.S. 



In the First Volume of your valuable Magazine is an account 

 from me of the progress made by the Huntingdon willow on 

 gravelly soil, by the side of a rivulet, at the bottom of Rait 

 Hill, up to the period of writing (Dec. 6. 1825) ; being fourteen 

 years from the time of planting. On referring to that commu- 

 nication (Vol. I. p. 46,), I find that several of the trees mea- 

 sured 46 in. in circumference at 4 ft. from the ground ; and that 

 their average height was from 55 ft. to 60 ft. On receiving your 

 request to give an account of their present state, I took Mr. 

 Tyrie, a carpenter, with me, and measured several of those for- 

 merly measured ; and found that ten years' growth has added 

 considerably to their girt. Not having referred to my former 

 paper, the measurement was taken at this time at 1 ft. from the 

 ground ; and the following is a copy of Mr. Tyrie's notes : — 



