114 
CAUSES OF BAD WALL-TREES. 
A single leaf of a cucumber produced by far the largest mass of 
fibres : it lived for a time in soil, but, developed no shoot. 
The short, damp days of autumn, with proportionate absence of 
sun-light, checked the progress of my experiments, and as I kept up 
no great degree of artificial heat, I suffered my plants to decline, 
which, in rising spring would have rapidly attained a fruiting condi¬ 
tion, as several of them showed blossoms and germs by the close of 
October. 
Not to dwell longer on experiments which I do not consider as 
concluded, I shall only remark. 
That I have proved the Persian Housainee plant to court water, 
as a medium, wherein its roots will flourish ; and that, this melon, 
also my variety of the Germek, and the Scarlet Fleshed, will take 
root in water, if assisted by a very temperate bottom heat, during 
September or later. Also, that the cucumber plants, and the single 
leaves of large size, will root speedily by the same treatment. I had 
in December, a small cutting, that took root in a phial, placed on a 
cool part of the flue, and was transferred to soil very lately. t 
With these facts before me, I offer the remark with confidence, 
that gardeners, who can command ample machinery, have sufficient 
reason to proceed in a course of experiments, which may induce a 
total alteration in the mode of cultivating the cucumis tribe, and re¬ 
duce it to a process of certainty, and of ample remuneration. 
January 1th, 1834. 
ARTICLE IX. 
SOME OF THE CAUSES OF BAD WALL-TREES. 
I 
BY MR. \V. DENYON, 
Gardener to Lady Webster , Battle-Abbey, Sussex. 
During these last few years, I have had opportunities of seeing ma¬ 
ny gardens, both in the north and south of England, and must say, 
I have seen very many excellent wall-trees, and also very many not 
at all deserving either the situations or soil in which they grow. 
Bad wall-trees are certainly very disgraceful to a good garden, and 
far from being any ornament to a bad one. 
I have endeavoured to ascertain the cause of so great a number of 
bad trees, and from a variety of observations, I am brought to the 
following conclusions :— 
