238 
THE COTTAGE GAEDENER 
December 30. 
GOSSIP. 
It happens to those of moderate income, almost as fre¬ 
quently as to the wealthy, that they are desirous to trans- 
flant a large tree to some more desired position. The 
plan of Brown, and its improvement hy Sir Henry 
Steuart, are well-known, and equally so for the difficul¬ 
ties it involves. A more efficient and easy mode, it 
is said, has recently been invented hy Mr. Stewart 
Me Glashen, Sculptor, of Edinburgh; and the following 
report of its success has been sent to us. The experi¬ 
ment was conducted in the presence of a great number 
of gentlemen and practical gardeners. 
“ The tree first experimented upon was a slender syca¬ 
more tree, of fifty-three feet in height, and five feet four 
inches in circumference at the thickest part of the stem. 
The soil was exceedingly damp, from the hearj rain of the 
previous night. 
“ The first process of IMr. M'Glashen is to lay down a frame 
of T iron—in this case ton feet square. He then takes cutters 
made of malleable iron, one foot broad, and three feet deep, 
or, with tlie head and neck, four and a-half feet. These cutters 
are driven, by a wooden mallet, into the soil to the depth of 
three feet all around, and, being inserted sloping inwards, 
tliey give to the enclosed mass the form of a squai-e blunted 
wedge. A rod of iron is then laid along the top of the four- 
rows of cutters, and extension rods going across the frame 
force the heads of the cutters apart as far as possible, and, 
consequently, cause the points to converge at the bottom. 
A clasp or gland is then put around the trunk of the tree, 
with a mat under it to preserve the bark. Two parallel 
beams are then laid across the frame and fastened to it with 
chains. The above constitutes the frame to be raised. The 
means of raising the mass is a carriage (which also serves 
the purpose of transportation) consisting of two strong 
common carts, one at either end, with bolsters raised above 
the axletroe of both, and on which bolsters rest two massive 
parallel beams secured to them with strong bolts. The 
height of the beams from the ground is about six feet. 
They, of course, enclose the tree. The process of lifting is 
exceedingly simple—the whole being accomplished by screw 
power. The screws are four in number, and so arranged as 
to make the lift equal. They are made fast to the beams of 
the frame, and are worked by men standing on planks across I 
the beams of the carriage. The frame and enclosed mass | 
are slowly raised, and the tree, witli gentle oscillation, moves 
erectly upwards. The tree may, it is evident, be raised with¬ 
out the use of guy ropes—the solid mass of earth ett'ectually 
balancing the trunk and branches—but they were used on 
this occasion as an e.xtra precaution. After aViout twenty 
minutes working of the screws, the tree was completely 
raised from the pit, the. operation liaving been effected in an 
easy and gradual manner, and amidst tributes of admiration 
from all around. It was not the intention to remove the 
tree experimented upon, but the means of removal behig 
exhibited and explained, all seem satisfied with the feasi¬ 
bility of the apparatus for the purpose. A strong case was 
shown for the enclosure of the ball of earth, wlien the tree 
is to be conveyed to any distance. In moving, the tree 
still maintains its erect position. The propelling power 
is, when horses cannot be used, by a winch in front of the 
I foremost cart, and block and tackle; but when the -way is 
, clear, and the road good, horses will do the work safely and 
more expeditiously. The tree, is lowered into the pit pre¬ 
pared for it on the same principle. 
“ The cutters, which are driven in around the root, may 
sometimes sever the more expanding fibres; but this, we 
understand, will rather insure new ramifications in its 
adopted soil than at all affect the health of the plant. In 
fruit-trees, in fact, this is a device resorted to for the exten¬ 
sion of the mots, thus giving new vigour to the plant. From 
the excessive moisture of the soil on Saturday, tlie ball of 
e.arth was not removed in so complete a mass as might 
otherwise have been expected—the weight of the water drag- j 
ging the mould not adhering to the root back into the pit, 
but still there was more than enough of the native soil of | 
the tree raised with it to insure its preservation; and the ; 
circumstances of the experiment were, in this respect, ex¬ 
ceptional. I 
“ It is calculated that, in this instance, the weight lifted 
was thirteen or fourteen tons; but the inventor and patentee | 
confidently states that, by an enlargement of the apparatus 
on the same principle, he could lift almost any tree. Tlie I 
principal experiment being accomplished, the company were 
directed to another part of the policies of Cramond House, 
where a holly-tree, about fifteen feet high, was lifted by four 
large and broad spades, forming a case to inclose the root. 
A similar experiment, by smaller implements, was made on 
a gooseberry bush, while some smaller plants w-ere expertly 
lifted out by two semi-cylindrical spades. In each case the 
plant was extracted with its native ball of earth. All this 
was done, and the pai'ty afterwards walked to Cramond 
House, within the short space of an hour and a quarter.” 
We think that there is no probability of the price of 
good Shanghae fowls declining. We think so, because 
such birds combine more good qualities than are pos¬ 
sessed by any other variety. At jjresent there is an 
increased demand for such birds of high quality. At 
Birmingham, Mr. Punchard sold a cock and hen for 
A'.35, and Captain Hornby sold a cockerel and three pul¬ 
lets for £'30. The taste for them is not confined to this 
country; they are most highly lu'ized at Constantinople; 
and a very few days since, at Southampton, a large pen 
of about thirty of these birds were shipped for Jersey, 
and another pen, containing a still larger number, for 
New York. The taste for Shanghaes rests upon a much 
firmer foundation than some fancied combination of 
colour, which yet would obtain an enormous price. For 
instance, it was reported that there wmuld be showm at 
Birmingham some White Polands with blade crests, and 
we know that a gentleman was commissioned to give 
£100 for the pen if they had been there. No such 
variety was exhibited; and the last specimens known 
to have been in existence, we are told, were in the pos¬ 
session of the Duchess of Cleveland. 
The following is a list of the Poultry Shows of which 
we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any 
of our readers sending us additions to the list, and 
giving the address of the Secretaries. 
C0HNWA1.L (Penzance), January 10th, and 11th. (Secs. 
Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. 
Rodd, Esq.) 
Doncaster, January 21st. [Sec. H. Moore, Esq.) 
Great Metbopoeitan, Januai-y 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. 
(Sec. W. Houghton.) 
Honiton, January 12th. (See. H. K. Venn.) 
Torquay, Januai-y 14th and lOth. (Secs. A. Paul, and J. 
C. Stack. 
SOME NOTES ON FORCING. 
Wishing to make our remarks suitable, as far as 
possible, to the period at which they first see the light, 
we will now touch on those things in the order that will 
best suit the requirements of our readers; and since 
this popular periodical has enlarged its sphere of utility, 
there is little doubt of a considerable accession of readers 
who are in afilueut circumstances, and who possess a 
miniature forcing-garden, wherein they desire to produce 
those garden delicacies which are every day becoming 
more accessible to society at large. In assisting this 
