86 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



A word must be said in reference to the improved cultivation of 

 trees in towns, as it has an important bearing upon the subject. Apart 

 from the difficulties in the way of success caused by an atmosphere laden 

 with various impurities that check leaf action and development, it often 

 happens in towns that the soil is most unsuitable. In some of the 

 London parks and squares instances can be found where the soil has been 

 little better than a rubbish-heap, and where, beyond the annual digging 

 and clearing up, little is ever done to enrich it. As regards street and 

 avenue trees the conditions are rendered still more adverse by restricting 

 the surface round the tree stems for aeration and rain supplies to a 

 square foot or little more. With a stone path on one side and an 

 asphalte or wood paving or a macadamised road on the other it is 

 astonishing how such freely growing trees as the plane and the lime exist 

 and flourish. It imposes a severe strain upon all trees, stunting them 

 in their early years, and often affects their whole after-development. 



In most of the parks there is an ample supply of water, yet in many 

 cases it does not appear that full advantage is taken of this in hot dry 

 summers. Newly planted trees are usually watered it is true, but that 

 is by no means an invariable practice, for I have seen hundreds of trees 

 seriously stunted or entirely ruined through want of prompt and constant 

 attention to this essential matter. But many young trees and shrubs 

 which though hardly established are advancing satisfactorily, would be 

 greatly helped by liberal supplies of water, not only at the roots but over 

 the foliage as well. Wherever the position is exposed to dust from the 

 streets, the cleansing value of a generous use of the hose-pipes cannot be 

 too highly estimated. The abnormally early defoliation so common and 

 objectionable in towns would be prevented, and the trees strengthened 

 in their struggle against adverse atmospheric influences. The expense 

 would be a consideration, but it should be recognised as a necessity 

 inseparable from the conditions prevailing in town parks and gardens. 

 Most certainly the outlay should not deter any public bodies from under- 

 taking it ; the neglect of such an essential often means the sacrifice of a 

 good deal of previous labour and expenditure, while the only result is 

 public dissatisfaction. 



But it is more particularly in reference to manurial assistance that 

 I would now draw attention. We have to depend chiefly upon deciduous 

 trees for general town planting, and the majority of these respond more 

 readily to manurial help than is commonly supposed. "When planted in 

 soil that has been suitably enriched by additions of old manure the 

 progress made by young trees is often remarkable ; annual top-dressings 

 assist in prolonging this advance, and a well-developed tree is secured in 

 less than half the time that is required under the old methods. 



Where manure cannot be readily obtained, decayed leaves and vegetable 

 refuse generally will form a useful compost for addition to the soil. 

 With this might be used a suitable mixture of artificial or chemical 

 fertilisers, or some of the compounds prepared by the leading firms would 

 be serviceable. If the humus furnished by such materials as those 

 mentioned is abundant, I have found that for the majority of deciduous 

 trees and shrubs basic slag at the rate of 2 lbs. to each 10 square 

 yards of land prepared for borders or plantations furnishes a lasting 



