GARDENERS' MAGAZINE. 



January 



r 



1898. 



■ in 



certainly is, has enemies galore ; many carnivorous insects besides 

 Testacella, as, for example, the centipede, prey upon the worm, and the 

 whole host of birds combine in considering it a tit-bit, so that the indus- 

 trious leaf-sexton has good need to exercise caution before stretching his 

 full length from his burrow to find a meal which nothing else but a 

 fungus would be able to thrive upon. Taking the worm altogether, it is 

 certainly a most ill-used animal all round, his special and proper domain 

 is ploughed, and harrowed, and dug, and hoed, in such a drastic fashion, 

 that he is liable at any moment to be crushed, cut up, and otherwise 

 demolished to such an extent that beneficent Xature has hindered his 



rr 



extinction by rendering his cleanly-cut sections capable of regeneratin 

 fresh heads and tails, and so starting anew as a family instead of 



becoming a defunct individual. Then, besides the energetic gardener forms an object of much interest. 



The Eastern Thorn — Mr. E. Beckett, of Aldenham House Gardens 



writes, in reference to this handsome thorn : I was much interested in reading 

 your notice of Crataegus orien talis in your issue for December 25 last, especially 

 as we have two very fine specimens here, which were planted between fifty and 

 sixty years ago. It is unquestionably one of the most effective of the thorn family, 

 but to ensure justice being done to it, the trees should be planted in an isolated 

 position on the lawn as here. The flowers are beautifully scented, and during 

 May, when the trees are in flower, and again in autumn, when covered with the fine 

 showy fruit, they are most attractive, and always much admired by visitors. Another 

 species, C. punctata, planted here at the same time, although much more robust in 

 growth, and requires more room, is nevertheless worthy of being planted much 

 more extensively than has yet been the case ; it is more pendulous in habit of growth 

 than the first named, and when covered with its large red fruit during autumn it 



and agriculturist, he has to pay tribute to the angler in an exceedingly 

 unpleasant fashion ; and although we may assume that his nerves are no 



Plant Transpiration.— For some time past Mr. Henry H. Dixon, of 



Trinity College, Dublin, has been endeavouring to decide whether the energy used 



quite so sensitive as our own, it is extremely doubtful if any sense of in raising the water of the transpiration current is derived solely and directly from 

 gratitude is felt when the truant schoolboy shirks his proper studies in the inflow of heat at the evaporating surfaces of the leaf-cells, or wheiher stored 

 order to "teach the worm to swim," with a bent pin or a barbed hook to energy (/.<?., vital force) is in any way responsible for work done. It has been 



aid it in its first atempt at natation. 



PRUNING ORNAMENTAL TREES. 



In a note, entitled "Beauty in a Tree," which appeared in our issue 

 of November 20, it was pointed out that upon the amount of intelligence 



observed that plants transpire into a space saturated with moisture. But Mr. Dixon 

 states in Nature that he is not aware that it has been pointed out that this transpira- 

 tion will continue when no light falls on the leaves. Without this precaution we 

 cannot assume that the space is really saturated at the surface of the leaves ; for 

 they will convert some of the light into heat, and so lower the state of saturation 

 at their surfaces. In his experiments small leafy branches were cut and set in a 

 watery solution of eosin under a glass receiver. Beside the vessel containing the 



the pruner, now at work in the suburbs, puts into his work, will depend eosirlj and under the receiverj a beaker filled with boiling water was placed< The 



the beauty of the tree next summer. We are reminded of the dark ways 



receiver became immediately filled with water vapour, and, as the space was con- 



of some tree pruners by what was once a magnificent line of elms on the tinually falling in temperature, owing to the cooling of the beaker, it remained 



border of an open space in a charming village in one of the home counties. always in a state of saturation. These arrangements were made in a feeble light, 



The trees were'all topped at varying heights ; in some cases several feet and then the receiver branch and all were set in total darkness. It is to be men- 



of naked stem, denuded of branches, were left standing above the lower tioned that a wet board cut off the direct radiation of the beaker from the branch. 



After an hour it was found that the eosin had risen into the leaves of the branch 



branches ; and for years these trees were unattractive objects, and they have 



never recovered from the cruel and unnatural treatment to which they In ord er to ensure that this rising was not due to reduced air pressure, previously 

 were subjected. We suppose that the pleasure some persons appear to obtaining in the water conduits of the branch, experiments were made in which 

 find in the trimming of ornamental trees in this sad fashion is based ^ reduced Pressure was equalised by setting the branch for one hour standing in 



upon a feeling that trees growing in a quite natural way must be capable 

 of some improvement by art ; and as pruning is usually acknowledged 



water under the receiver, before setting it in eosin. The same result was obtained 

 in these cases. The raising of the eosin in this experiment seems probably due to 

 a pumping action in the cells of the leaf, depending upon vital processes taking 



to be useful in developing certain points in a fruit tree, a like good , K ™. . . - , ' . 7, , r 



... . i 1 1 r r * 1 -r ^ place there. This surmise is confirmed by the fact that the elevation ot the eosin 



purpose will be served by the free use of the knife and saw upon an does not take p i ace in a saturated atmosphere if the leaves have been killed. This 



ornamental tree. But the comparison does not hold good, since the 



may be proved either by leaves killed by immersion in water at about 90 degrees 



objects aimed are essentially different. Pruning, at least all useful C, or by exposure to chloroform vapour. If the pumping action be a " vital" 

 pruning, as applied to fruit trees, is for the purpose of adding to, dimi- process we would expect it to be dependent upon a supply of oxygen, like growth 



case 



nishing, or otherwise regulating the fruitfulness of the tree; and this, in and grotropic curvatures, &c. 

 many cases, is effected to the acknowledged diminution of the growth, Thus a branch wholly surrounded by water will draw up eosin from a vessel below, 

 luxuriance, and beauty of the tree, so far as spread of branches and pro- if exposed to light. The raising of the eosin will be but little if the light be cutoff 



digality of foliage go. But even here, the pruner who prunes only for from the submerged branch. The action of light supplies the leaves with oxygen 

 the sake of using the knife, not unfrequently goes too far, prevents the set free assimilation; in the dark, however, the leaves can only obtain 1 he 

 perfect maturity of the growth, and hastens the decline of the tree by de- 

 priving it of the fair proportions which Nature has established between 

 the leaf and the roots. We imagine that the practice complained of is 

 a want of perception of what is really beautiful in an ornamental tree. 

 It seems to be indisputable that no one who has any perception of what 

 is really beautiful in Nature could ever doubt for a moment that a fine 

 elm or oak, which has never been touched by the knife, is the most per- 

 fect standard of sylvan grace, symmetry, dignity, and finely-balanced pro- 



portions that it is possible to conceive. A pollard willow should be the become injected with the colouring fluid. 



small amount of oxygen dissolved in the water, and perhaps a little, too, derived by 

 intramolecular respiration. With this limited supply the elevation of the eosin is 

 inconspicuous. The oxidising processes taking place in the leaf-cells must bring 

 about some minute rise in temperature. This will, of course, favour evaporation. 

 But Mr. Dixon believes that this effect would be far too small to account for the 

 whole phenomenon of transpiration into saturated spaces. That a very consider- 

 able amount of the pumping action is located in the leaves, may be shown by 

 employing large leaves set upright in the eosin. It will be found that in a dark 

 saturated space the veins of such large leaves severed from the stem will quickly 



very type and model of beauty in the eye of the champion of the indiscri- 

 minate use of the pruning saw. What Nature has specially shaped 



Diseased Hellebores.— Some badly diseased plants were received by the 

 Scientific Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society from Mr. F. W. Burbidge, 



for the delight of the eye, and as a fine suggestion to the spiritual Trinity College Gardens. They were submitted to Kew for examination, 

 sense, can be seen in a beautiful tree, and man should not lightly under- and have been reported upon as follows : " Phoma effusa, Desm., is the name of 

 take to remodel, or clip away any of its fair proportions. the fungus attacking the hellebores. The diseased portions should be removed 



and burned, as at this season the fungus is producing myriads of spores, which 

 live as saprophytes on humus in the soil for some time before they are capable of 

 The Gardening Year Book for 1898 is now published, and may be acting as parasites. The hellebore shoots of next year will be infected by these 

 obtained through the usual channels in any part of the United Kingdom or direct spores. The above alternation from a parasitic to a saprophytic mode pf life 

 from the office, as may be desired. As this highly- popular publication has r 



ached enables the fungus possessing one form of fruit only, as in the present instance, tc 

 its fortieth year it is by far the oldest of the annuals relating to gardening, and a tide over the period during which its host plant is not actively growing. Spraying 

 glance at its well-filled pages will be sufficient to show that there has, in the pre- With a solution of potassium sulphide (one ounce to three gallons of water) when 

 paration of the edition for the current year, been a full appreciation of the the leaves first appear next season would to some extent prevent the chances of 



inoculation from floating spores." 



Forestry Essays.— The English Agricultural Society offers mcdnls lcr 



essays on the following subjects : (1) The planting, maintenance, and managerr.eii 

 of a plantation for the first twenty-five years, on {a) maiden land, {0) kuid pr 



both 



eftort 



popul 



publication has enjoyed for so long a period. As in previous issues the plants, 

 flowers, fruits, and vegetables introduced during 1S97 are concisely recorded, 



the year s work in the garden is fully discussed, and a new set of reminders for viously planted ; (2) The felling and barking of oak or larch timber, and B 

 the daily work has been prepared for the almanack pages. In a series of brightly- best modes of drying, housing and stacking, and preparing the bark for deliver 



written chapters the management of the conservatory, greenhouse, orchid houses, to the tanneries ; (3) The different methods adopted in the measurement of stai 



fruit houses, flower garden, orchard, kitchen garden, and indoor and outdoor ing and felled timber, with diagrams, if possible ; (4) Original observations < 



terneiies is dealt with, and under separate headings the cultivation of all the any diseases attacking forest trees not yet thoroughly investigated ; (S) The de 



more important plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables is fully described and the truction of the insects most injurious to forest trees not yet reported on, and comu 



most distinct and useful varieties enumerated. The directories of horticultural 

 societies and public parks, which have formed such popular features since their 

 introduction a few years since, have been thoroughly revised, and are remarkable 

 for their completeness and accuracy. The work is freely illustrated, the illustra- 

 tions including coloured plates of popular plants. 



under the notice of any individual member in England ; (6) The results of any e 

 periments having a practical bearing upon forestry ; (7) The best method o y 

 claiming, draining, and replanting bog land, and the most suitable yariet) 

 trees to plant. The competition for the medals for the first two essays is limit* 

 to assistant foresters, but for the remaining essays the competition is open. 



