By John Livingstone, Esq. 227 



can be perceived ; its diameter and height are doubled, and 

 the tree is in all respects as elegant and beautiful as if it had 

 been produced from seed. These details are introduced, 

 because I think they afford a clear explanation of the pro- 

 cess of nature, which, with so little assistance, converts 

 branches into trees, and will help to unfold those subsequent 

 steps, by which the same process is so modified, that, 

 instead of a full-formed beautiful tree, the bough is tortured 

 into a grotesque dwarf. 



Dr. Morrison informs me, that the Chinese call dwarf 

 trees Koo-Shoo, ancient trees ; and that they express the 

 rearing of them, by terms signifying bending down, or re- 

 pressing ancient trees, which means much the same as 

 dwarfing. 



When the dwarfing process is intended, the branch which 

 had pushed radicles into the surrounding composition in suf- 

 ficient abundance, and for a sufficient length of time, is 

 separated from the tree, and planted in a shallow earthen- 

 ware flower pot, of an oblong square shape ; it is sometimes 

 made to rest upon a flat stone. The pot is then filled with 

 small pieces of alluvial clay, which, in the neighbourhood of 

 Canton, is broken into bits, of about tho size of common 

 beans, being just sufficient to supply the scanty nourishment 

 which the particular nature of the tree and the process re- 

 quire. In addition to a careful regulation of the quantity 

 and quality of the earth, the quantity of water, and the 

 management of the plants, with respect to sun and shade, 

 recourse is had to a great variety of mechanical contrivances,, 

 to produce the desired shape. The containing flower pot is 

 so narrow, that the roots pushing out towards the side* are. 



