78 



THE PRACTICAL GARDENER. 



galls or sumach, and, consequently, the colour given is more 

 l>ermanent. 



The wine casks in Italy and Spain are almost all made of 

 this wood, and are preferred to any other, as being less liable 

 to shrink or to communicate a disagreeable flavour to the 

 contents. The bark has a considerable degree of astringency, 

 and contains the tanning principle in about the same proportion 

 with the larch and mountain-ash. ' 



Of this genus there are three species, tlie common or sweet 

 chestnut, the C. Americana^ and Pumila, natives of North 

 America. Tlicy are all propagated by seeds, which are occa- 

 sionally imported, and the varieties are increased by grafting 

 or inarching upon the common sort. 



Horse-chestnut. — {JEsculus.) 



The common horse-chestnut, /Esculus hipjwcastafiumf is 

 a native of Asia, and was introduced into this country in 

 As an ornamental park-tree, few trees excel it, 

 either in the splendour of its bloom or beauty of its foliage. 

 It requires a loamy soil and sheltered situation, but is seldom 

 injured by our severest frosts. As i timber-tree it has no 

 pretensions, for although it attains a la/ge size of trunk, the 

 quality of the wood is such as to render it of little estimation 

 in the eye of the profitable planter. 



Ciilpin observes, it is far from being a picturesque tree, its 

 outline being that of a parabola ; but all beauty is not pic- 

 turesque beauty, and the foliage and leaves will ever advocate 

 the cause of this tree, which, as Daines Barrington observes, 

 may be compared to a giant's nosegay. It was formerly much 

 used as an avenue-tree, both on the continent and also with 

 us, as abundant examples are still in existence to prove. 



It is propagated from seeds, which ripen most seasons with 

 us in October : they generally drop out of their seed-vessels 

 when ripe, and are gathered from the ground. They should 

 be sown as soon as gathered, either in seed-beds, covered to 

 the depth of two and a half or three inches, or in drills, to 

 the same depth. If it be not convenient to sow them as soon 

 as gathered, they should be slowly dried on a dry floor, and 



