172 



JOURNAL OF HORTICTJLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEfi. 



[ Aagnst 24, 1876. 



the Elm has a tendency to become hollow, but this may be 

 mostly where the soil is not deep and kind, and where the 

 wet stagnates. Its worst foes, after wet, are the Elm beetle 

 (Scolytus destructor) and the caterpillar of the gold moth. Its 

 timber, valuable for many country uses, is eminently so where 

 durability under alternations of wet and dry is a consideration 

 — e.g., for pumps, troughs, conduit-pipes, water-gates, and 

 water-wheels. It is in request, too, in dockyards for laying 

 the keels of large ships. 



Larger, broader, and more deeply serrate of leaf, though, 

 like all the Elms, its leaf is unequal at the base, less upright, 

 too, and stately in growth, though its spreading head, divergent 

 limbs, and festoon-like branches render it highly picturesque 

 in park or paddock, is the Wych or Scots Elm, an undoubted 

 native of Britain, whatever be the history of its sister we name 

 the English Elm. Whilst the latter carries its upper branches 

 cluster-wise, and resembles a goblet in its tree-top, the former 

 assumes a rounder and more umbrageous character, striking 

 the critical eye as more easy and graceful. Another differ- 

 entia is that it has no suckers ; another, that whereas the 

 English Elm has to be propagated in this country by layers or 

 suckers, the Wych is easily grown from seed. To see it in its 

 glory probably the tree-fancier must go north : for the famous 

 " Trysting Tree " near Boxbnrgh in Teviotdale (girthing 30 feet 

 at 4 feet from the ground), and the Wjch Elms of Eastby 

 near Eichmond in Yorkshire, eclipse in Bize the average 

 Wyches of the south and west. Yet an exception may be made 

 in favour of one near Chepstow Caetle, which girths 36 feet at 

 4 feet from the ground ; and we believe there is one of yet 

 larger circumference in Lord Bathurst's park near Cirencester. 

 Both of these put forth huge lateral arms. But the secret of 

 the Wych attaining large proportions is a rich alluvial soil 

 where moisture percolates freely, a reason, as Selbyhas noticed, 

 for its affecting the Yorkshire river dales. Its name, we sup- 

 pose, is no longer a puzzle, as the notice of its connection with 

 magic arts sprang clearly from a fallacy of the ear. The Wych 

 or Wiche Elm, is so called from the olden use of its wood 

 to make boxes and chests, for which it was the old English 

 word. It is said to have more toughness of longitudinal fibre 

 than the English Elm ; and is used for cart-trams, naves, and 

 framing, and indeed, for most purposes for which the Ash is 

 in request. Among its curious properties is its sure indication 

 of coming frost. Unlike the common Elm, which keeps full 

 late its deepened verdure, the Wych no sooner scents the ad- 

 vent of cold weather than it curls up it3 leaves, puts on a habit 

 of brown, and anon is bare and leafless. For this and its 

 singular retention of moisture, no less than its columnar trunk 

 and finely reticulated bark, the Wych is a tree to plant and 

 prize in the open ; though the day is past when it might be 

 used for a nurse, or clipped and maimed, as in the days of 

 Queen Bess, for topiary purposes. Amongst its varieties the 

 most attractive is the Camperdown (Ulmus montana pendula), 

 a weeping Elm of singularly graceful habit. Most varieties 

 are grafted on the Wych stock ; and though Selby (p. 133) 

 doubts the wisdom of trusting the TJlmus campestris, where 

 the soil is good, to any stock but its own, we have ourselves 

 seen the value of the grafted Elm in replacing the gaps of an 

 Elm avenue. Compared with other makeshifts, its rapidity 

 of growth fills a vacancy creditably in less than a score of 

 years. 



Like the Wych in roots that resist wind and storm, and like 

 it in being among the first of trees to yield its leaves to the 

 cold, the Lime or Linden (Tilia) is a foster sister of the English 

 Elm, in that it frequently ekes out the avenues of the latter. 

 The question of its indigenousness is so far settled that the 

 weight of authority leans strongly to the affirmative as re- 

 gards the small-leaved Lime, which, as Mr. E. Lses, F L.S., of 

 Worcester, long ago note J, is common in the woods of Worces- 

 shire, Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. He 

 testifies, also, to its seemingly indigenous presence on the 

 bank* of the Hepste, in Glamorgan; and draws a distinction 

 between this and the Tilia europsea, which may have bten 

 introduced to England, for avenue purposes, in the days of 

 William and Mary. This is seen chiefly in parks and gardens ; 

 while the rarer Tilia gi andiflora, of larger leaf and a pate downy 

 uuderleaf, is a denizen of the arboretum. A symmetrical tree 

 in either variety, the Lime deserves the favour of the planter, 

 singly, as well as in lines and rows. A single Lime at Long- 

 leat measures 130 feet in height, its girth at 4 feet being 13 feet; 

 bnt this is outvied by one at Moor Park, Herts, which girths 

 23 feet at the same distance from the ground, though its height 

 is less by 30 feet. A more remarkable Lime still is to be seen 



at Enowle in Eent, a rival of the Banyan tree in singularity of 

 growth. Its lower branches have dropped till they kissed the 

 ground, and thus taking new life, thrown up a circle of young 

 trees from the parent stem. Aye, and repeated the process ! 

 The marvel repeats itself in a second circle; and this goodly 

 company of attached and incorporate descendants of a living 

 vegetable patriarch is said to co^er a quarter of an acre. A 

 like phenomenon is to be seen near the Boman remains in 

 Lydney Park, Gloucestershire, where the small-leaved Limes, 

 which are very abundant, give indications of great age, and 

 may have been independent of man's planting. — (Quarterly 

 Rtview.) 



THE THOMPSON FUND. 

 As several inquiries have been made regarding this fund it 

 may be desirable to say what has been done. The sum of 

 £90, or very nearly that, had been subscribed, and it was our 

 hope that we might have been able to procure the admission 

 of the two little girls into an orphanage, but after seeking in 

 all directions we were compelled to abandon this notion. 

 Amongst others application was made to Mrs. Tait to obtain 

 admission into her orphanage at St. Peter's, Thanet, but there 

 were certain rules which interfered with their admission ; but 

 it was suggested by Mrs. Tait, that as the mother was living 

 the most natural thing would be to allow her a certain sum 

 monthly out of it on condition that the children were Bent to 

 a good Bchool. This has been adopted, and the amount after 

 paying funeral expenses will be so appropriated. The widow 

 has been for some time receiving £2 a-month on these terms, 

 and at this rate it will be a help to her for some years to come. 

 Dr. Hogg has kindly undertaken the trouble of seeing to the 

 distribution, and I have only now to thank those who contri- 

 buted for the aid given in memory of one who was so justly 

 respected. — D., Deal. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



Writing in reference to wall eruit Mr. W. F. Badclyffe 

 states that " for a long time, through the excessive drought and 

 heat, Peaches and Nectarines seemed stopped in their growth, 

 although they were kept watered. We have had a wonderfully 

 fine rain, and the fruits are now swelling freely. I cannot 

 remember such sultry suffocating weather as we have had 

 this summer." 



' Mr. J. T. Peacock, Sudbury House, Hammersmith, 



has kindly announced that his collection oe Succulents may 

 be seen by visitors on any Tuesday from ten to four o'clock 

 during August and September. Mr. Croucher, the gardener, 

 will be in attendance. 



Thebe is now in flower at Mr. Beeves', North End 



Lodge, Walham Green, a very handsome plant of Crinuh 

 giganteum. It has a fine head of bloom, with about a dozen 

 Amaryllis-shaped flowers of a very delicate blush colour. The 

 flower stem is about 2 feet in height. This is probably the 

 finest plant in the country — a charming acquisition for the 

 conservatory at this time of the year. The plant may be Been 

 by applying to Mr. Chapman. 



We are glad to state that the disastrous Eire at 



Messrs. Boulton & Paul's will not affect any other department 

 of the works, where business will therefore be carried on as 

 usual ; and although the horticultural workshops are destroyed, 

 fortunately the entire stock of well-seasoned timber which was 

 stored in sheds at a distance from the scene of the fire was 

 saved. We are informed that arrangements are being made 

 to resume this special branch at the earliest possible date, and 

 continuing it daring the rebuilding of the premises. 



Mr. Jackson, gardener to Lord Searsdale, Keddleston 



Hall near Derby, has an extraordinary crop oe Grapes, one 

 Vine carrying about 154 lbs. of very fine fruit, the bunches 

 averaging about 3 lbs. each. They are Black Hamburghs.' 

 Tiiey are very noteworthy, and bear the evidence of skilful 

 culture.— E. C. 



In the report of the Sawbridgeworth Nurseries on p. 121 



it was inadvertently stated that Mr. Bivers possessed a stock 

 of Mrs. Pearson Grape. Mr. Bivers requests that the mistake 

 may be rectified, that Grape being now announced for distri- 

 bution from the Chilwell Nurseries. 



Some of the finest Muscat of Alexandria Grapes that 



have come under our notice have been grown this year by Mr. 

 Denning at Londesborough Lodge, Norbitou. The berries are 



