SINGLE TREES. 



273 



SIPHO v NIA. 



elevation, a, represents the stem of 

 the tree, b, the wire, and c, the laths. 



To protect single trees from the 

 wind, various modes have been 

 adopted ; one of the simplest of which 

 consists in driving a stake into the 

 ground much deeper than the roots 

 of the tree, and tying the trunk to it 

 with a hay-band ; care being taken 

 not to injure the roots in driving in 

 the stake. There is another mode of 

 fixing a tree, which serves also to pro- 

 tect it ; and this consists in driving 

 two pieces of wood into the ground ; 

 with their lower extremities spread 

 out, and their upper ones tied to the 

 tree. Many other methods will be 

 found in the Gardener's Magazine, 

 vol. xiii. and in Mr. Loudon's Sub- 

 urban Gardener. 



In planting single trees, and indeed 

 trees of every kind, the greatest pos- 

 sible care should be taken to place 

 them so high above the surface as 

 that after they have sunk down, 

 as they will do in a few years, they 

 may still appear to stand on a little 

 hillock or to grow out of a small 

 mound. If we examine thriving trees 

 in natural wood, we shall always 

 find that the collar, that is the point 

 of junction between the stem and the 

 root, rises above the general surface, 

 so as to form a little hillock. On the 

 other hand if we examine trees in 

 artificial plantations in which the soil 

 has been deeply trenched, we shall 

 generally find that though they may 

 have been planted at first level with 

 the surface, they will, after a certain 

 number of years, have sunk consider- 

 ably below the surface ; or if care has 

 been taken to keep the ground about 

 them level, by adding fresh soil as the 

 surface sinks they will appear with 

 their collars completely buried and 

 their trunks rising out of the soil like 

 so many posts driven into it by art, in- 

 stead of springing from a woody base 

 rising above the soil like trees and 



shrubs in a natural forest, or on a 

 common. In planting single trees, 

 therefore, hillocks should at first be 

 raised to a height which will for a 

 year or two appear quite unnatural, 

 as shown in fig. 3 1 , in which may be 

 observed a small hollow at the base 



Fig. 31. 



NEWLY PLANTED TREE. 



of the stem for retaining water ; but 

 they will soon sink down to the ap- 

 pearance shown in fig. 32. 



Fig. 32. 



FULL GROWN TREE. 



Sinni'ngia. — Gesneriacece. — 

 Stove-plants with large bell-shaped 

 flowers. They should be grown in 

 light rich soil. 



Siphocampylus. — LobeliacecB. — 

 A suffruticose plant, with red and 

 green tube- shaped flowers. It is 

 generally kept in the greenhouse, but 

 it is nearly hardy. It should be 

 grown in heath-mould, and it is pro- 

 pagated by cuttings, which should be 

 dried a little before they are planted. 



Sipho^nia. — Euphorbiacece.— The 

 American Indian-rubber tree. The 

 first elastic gum brought to Europe 

 was the produce of the Ficus elas- 

 tica ; and as this plant is a native of 

 the East Indies, the substance was 

 thence called Indian rubbeT. It has 



T 



