NOVEMBER. 
243 
root, in “ the border?” The adjoining Vine, and all the others to the two 
extremities, deny the former; and as I take it, there is something like testi¬ 
mony confirmatory of the latter. There is a significance attending the 
manner in which this Vine had set to work out its requirements. The first 
portion of rod emitting these air-roots, which comprised about 1 foot of its 
length, was that nearest the root. No sooner had these ceased to elongate, 
through the want of the support which they were seeking for, than others 
quickly shot forth immediately above them, upon a portion about equal in 
length; and so again and again had this evidently been repeated, until the 
final effort was made at the very apex, and where, the humidity being- 
greater, they were capable of rather greater elongation. Now, why had not 
this humidity induced this display of roots at an earlier period ? 
Mr. Wighton affirms that health and vigour may be the progenitors of 
these roots, and gives as an illustration “ old Vines ” as “ thick as his 
wrist.” I will pass over the latter merit—namely, thickness of rod, and 
just suggest that aged Vines are not always vigorous at the root. Depend 
upon it, Nature is no sloth; w r e often mistake her “ways to an end,” 
through overlooking the fact that she is constantly at -work in converting 
present opportunities into future resources. The Vine at Chiswick, and 
many others, show no symptoms of suffering externally, but the leaf-surface, 
in its constant activity in direct communication with the root, feels a slight 
deprivation ; anon an effort is made to form fresh feeders, examples of 
which are daily witnessed with all plants capable of forming stem roots; 
and, as these become abortive, one effort follows the other until autumn 
arrives, and, then, unquestionably, greater prostration follows than if these 
incessant efforts had never been made. I throw out these few hints with 
the simple desire, that other facts bearing upon this important subject, 
may yet be forthcoming from some of our many pomological friends. 
Digswell. William Earley. 
PRUNING CONIFERS. 
As this operation has lately been alluded to in the Florist and Pomo- 
logist, it may be of interest to some of your readers to know that pruning 
may be practised on large trees of the Coniferous family, as well as on 
smaller ones, if done at the proper season of the year. 
There is growing in the flower garden here a Pinus excelsa, 32 feet high 
and 63 feet in circumference. The lower branches cover the ground. The 
bole of the tree at 1 foot from the ground is 5 feet 10 inches in circum¬ 
ference. It is standing near to a Picea Pinsapo of nearly the same height 
and size. There are only 21 feet between the two trees—a distance which 
ought to have been doubled, as they were growing into each other. To 
remedy this great evil we pruned the excelsa severely in the last week of 
September of last year, cutting no less than twelve large bundles of wood 
from it, which gave it rather a stubbed appearance till it made its spring 
growth. Now, at the time I am writing, there is scarcely a trace of 
either the saw or knife; but the appearance is very much improved both in 
shape and colour, as its silvery grey foliage • contrasts well with the dark 
green of the Pinsapo. Both are hardy and handsome, and ought to be 
better known and more frequently planted. They stood here unharmed by 
the frost in that trying winter of 1861, when we lost a good Cedrus Deodara, 
Araucaria, and Cryptomeria, all of the same age, and growing by their side 
in the same soil. 
