January 12. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
281 
prevent, in a degree, the serious injury that would 
accrue, by first going through the wood, and marking, 
by some means or other (a circle of red paint is a good 
method), all the handsomest and best trees, at such a 
distance from each other as would allow them sufficient 
space to form good heads when they have space to 
expand their branches. Supposing there are five trees 
between these standards, as I may term them, then let 
the marker, with some other kind of mark, place it 
upon the two trees on each side of the standard. These 
are to be cut down that season, and these will leave 
three trees standing as a protection to the standard till 
it has become partially prepared, as it were, to stand 
! by itself. 
This opening-by-degrees process will give the stand¬ 
ard, also, an opportunity of sending forth a few more 
I branches down the stem. (I refer more particularly to 
deciduous trees.) This putting forth of new branches 
must have been observed by any one in the practice 
of thinning woods, and these branches assist very mate¬ 
rially iri enabling the tree to acquire more strength to 
withstand the strong draught that it will be exposed to 
when the second thinning is done. The standard tree 
should have two seasons allowed to get used to its 
partially unsheltered position. In the third season, two 
of the three trees left should be removed ; there will 
then be one left, and the standard will have to bear a 
much greater exposure to cold winds, but it will now 
be enabled to bear them; it will have acquired two 
years' additional strength, the wood will be more con¬ 
solidated, and the roots will have had a larger space to I 
gather up strengthening food. Imagine the difference ! 
between this preparatory thinning process and that of ! 
taking away all the five nurse trees at once. Any 
! common-sensed man must perceive that it is better to 
j thin by degrees. 
“ Oh but,” says one, “ it is too much trouble; and do 
! not tell me: the trees that are left are natives of this 
j country, and are hardy enough ; they will stand any 
breezes, and will soon thicken, get stiff and upright, and 
| will then have nice clean boles without any fuss about 
thinning and pruning.” Such is the language too often 
J used by the managers of the woods of this country, but 
I do trust the proprietors of such neglected wood will 
open their eyes and see the folly of such let-alone doc¬ 
trines. Trees, like every other production of the field, 
are given to man to dress and keep, and no owner of 
woodland, if he neglects it, is excusable. 
To proceed with our thinning process. The one nurse 
left should remain to fill her office for at least three 
years more, so that the whole process of thinning a 
neglected plantation will extend over a period of seven 
years. The trees for timber will then have become 
proof, by gradually acquired strength, against all storms 
and cold wiuds. If it is desired, the space between and 
under the trees may either be planted with proper under¬ 
wood shrubs, such as Hazels, Hollies, Laurels, Rhodo¬ 
dendrons, &c., or the trees that have been felled may be 
allowed to produce stools of suckers, or the whole ground 
may be dug over and sown with grass. All these con¬ 
siderations, or practices, depend, of course, upou the 
will and objects of the owner. If game is desired, the 
underwood will be cherished; and the best protection 
for pheasants I ever saw was made by plashing the 
whole of the underwood so that it formed a perfect 
impassable thicket No poacher could possibly pene¬ 
trate it, and the owner, now, alas! defunct, soon had 
the finest preserve of pheasants in the country. This 
wood so plashed had been a neglected plantation. 
T. Api>leby. 
(To be continued.) 
_ 
I 
THE IRIS. 
(Continued from page 2G3.) 
A red of the Spanish and English bulbous Irises is, 
when in flower, very effective, and, as they flower during 
the summer months, they should be made use of more 
than they are as bedding-out plants. 
The species are named Irisxiphium (from xiphios, sword¬ 
like, the leaves being of that shape), and T. xiphioules, 
which means that the latter’s leaves are like those of 
the former. They are distinguished from each other by 
the petals of the first being as narrow as the flat-shaped 
stigmas, and the germen or seed-vessels being round; 
whereas, xipldoulcs has the petals broader, and the 
germen acutely angular. These are distinctions suffi¬ 
cient to separate the species. Each species has been 
hybridised, and there are numerous varieties now cul¬ 
tivated chiefly distinguished by the sporting of tho 
colours. 
Propagation : By Seed .—Every amateur in Florists’ 
flowers that propagates them by seed ought to be more 
anxious to improve the variety he saves seed from than 
merely to increase the number of roots ; hence, no seed 
should be saved but such as has been hybridised with 
a view either to improve the form, the colour, or the 
size. Now, in order to succeed with more certainty in 
attaining these objects, the pollen of the one possessing 
one of these qualities in the highest perfection should 
be dusted upon the stigma of another possessing the 
property of size. From such hybridised flowers the 
best seeds most likely to bring improved flowers will 
be obtained. All other blooms that have not been 
operated upon should be cut off as soon as the flowers 
fade. 
The seed will ripen about the end of September, and 
should then be gathered just before the seed-vessels 
burst. Examine the bed daily, and cut off such seed- 
pods as appear to be quite ripe; lay them as they are 
gathered upon a large sheet of brown paper placed in 
a window where the morning sun only will shine upon 
them ; in this position the ripening process will go on, 
and the pods will open one after another. When all 
are gathered, and properly dried, then clear the seed 
from the cases; let them lay another day or two exposed 
to the sun to harden them, then put them up into 
brown paper, and place them in a drawer in a dry, 
cool room. Mice are very fond of the seeds, and will 
soon eat and destroy tho stock, if they can get at them ; 
therefore, the seed should be put in a secure jrlace, 
where it will be safe from their depredations. 
In early spring, prepare a place to sow the seed in, 
the best will be a gentle hotbed, with a one or two- 
light box upon it; but if that cannot be conveniently 
had, it may be sown in square boxes, or flat earthenware 
pans. The soil proper for them is good loam, sandy 
peat, and leaf-mould, in equal parts, thoroughly mixed 
together, but not sifted. If tho hotbed is used this 
compost should be at least eight inches thick. If boxes 
or pans are used let them be well drained. The sur¬ 
face of the soil should be patted gently down and made 
quite smooth, then sow the seed rather thinly upou^ it, 
and sift some of the compost through a rather fine 
sieve upon it, taking care that the seed is not buried 
too deep; the thickness of a crown-piece will be suffi¬ 
cient. Place the light on the frame, giving air night 
and day, unless it be very frosty. Those in pans may 
be placed in a greenhouse. 
As soon as the seed-leaves appear then increase both 
the quantity of air and water freely, but at distant in¬ 
tervals. I mean, thoroughly wet the soil once, and then 
water no more till the soil is dry again. Continue this 
treatment through the summer, till the leaves begin to 
turn yellow, then withhold it. As soon as the leaves 
are quite decayed, then sift the soil through a very fine- 
