PT. V. 



THE PARK PINETUM. 



233 



the distance of the ties from the root. Cords get tight 

 in wet, and loose in drought. 



An insiguis raised in this way, planted in the 

 autumn of 1837, is now (1853) above thirty-seven 

 feet high. This is not much more than two feet each 

 year ; but the three last shoots measure together nine 

 feet eight inches, and had the plant not been blown 

 over when young, and its leader browsed by cattle, and 

 afterwards broken by wind, I think its growth in height 

 would have averaged a yard a year. The soil is clay 

 on chalk (very unfavourable for pinuses), with a few 

 barrows of road-sand mixed at the first planting. 



I have never met with any observations on the 

 length of time which the grasses^ or leaves of cone- 

 bearing trees, remain alive. Perhaps two whole years 

 at the least ; in many cases, much longer ; and I should 

 doubt if the Araucaria and Cryptomeria have any fixed 

 natural period for shedding their leaves. The gene- 

 rality of English evergreens defoliate as regularly as 

 other trees called deciduous ; but evergreens retain 

 their leaves about a whole year ; deciduous trees, about 

 half a year. 



I wish I could persuade people to ornament the 

 waysides. Vulgar-minded persons think they have 

 done a clever thing, and that they have gained much 

 when they have robbed the waste. But these waysides 

 might be made with little trouble and no expense com- 

 paratively parks and gardens. I dare not ask the rich 

 to plant avenues with ' the Tree-lifter ' on common 



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