26 
JOURN'AL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  13,  1898. 
of  free  bearing  and  moderately  compact  (not  the  most  robust)  growing 
varieties. 
B.  — Planted  with  low  standard  trees,  of  similar  varieties,  12  feet 
asunder.  Strong  growers  should  be  15  apart,  having  in  view  their 
eventual  development. 
In  either  case.  Strawberries,  Raspberries,  and  Black  Currants,  or 
such  vegetables  as  Potatoes,  Onions,  or  other  root  crops  may  be 
grown  between  the  rows  for  a  few  years,  but  not  to  encroach  upon 
them,  or  to  involve  interference  with  the  fibrous  roots  of  the  trees 
by  digging. 
C.  — Orchard  standards,  medium  growers  24  feet  apart,  robust 
growers  30  feet,  on  prepared  stations  in  the  grass. 
Soil  Preparation, — For  methods  A  and  B  the  whole  of  the  ground 
should  be  bastard  trenched — f.e.,  working  it  two  spade  or  fork  deptlis, 
but  not  bringing  the  under  s' 41  to  the  surface.  Line  out  a  s|  ace 
2  feet  wide,  remove  the  soil  to  a  full  spade  depth,  or  a  foot  including 
shovellings;  thoroughly  break  up  the  bottom  to  a  similar  depth,  not 
leaving  the  soil  in  large  chunks.  Set  out  the  second  trench  of 
exactly  the  same  width  ;  chip  off  the  grass,  and  place  it  on  the  broken 
up  bottom  soil,  removing  ileshy  rooted  weeds.  Spread  on  tl  e  strip 
from  which  the  grass  and  weeds  have  been  removed  1  lb.  of  basic 
slag  (for  giving  lime  and  slow  acting  phosphate),  with  a  little  less  than 
half  that  quantity  of  kainit  (for  potash)  on  a  length  of  6  yards  = 
18  feet  by  2  feet,  and  well  mix  with  the  top  soil  in  turning  it  over 
on  the  grass  in  the  trench.  If  this  is  well  sprinkled  with  lime  first, 
making  it  quite  white,  it  will  be  advantageous. 
The  mixing  of  the  minerals  applied  is  better  done  by  digging  Avith 
forks,  taking  small  spits  or  slices,  than  with  spades  taking  wide  ones. 
If  a  large  heap  of  wood  ashes,  can  be  obtained  by  burning  refuse, 
including  all  the  portions  of  old  trees  that  can  be  so  reduced,  this  will 
do  instead  of  kainit  for  giving  potash,  and  may  be  spread  on  half  an 
inch  or  more  thick  if  sufficiently  plentiful.  Treat  the  whole  ground 
as  advised  and  it  Avill  grow  fruit  trees,  bushes,  and  root  crops.  The 
soil  taken  from  the  first  trench  Avill  fill  in  the  last. 
Stations  in  the  grass  for  trees  should  be  similarly  prepared,  and 
5  or  6  feet  in  diameter.  Plant  carefully  after  the  soil  has  settled, 
pruning  all  broken  ends  of  roots  smoothly  ;  spread  these  out  evenly  in 
layers  with  soil  between,  and  do  not  sink  the  stems  the  least  trifle 
deeper  than  they  were  before  the  trees  were  taken  up.  Press  down 
the  soil  moderately,  stake  the  trees  if  needed,  without  injuring  the 
bark.  Spread  littery  manure  over  the  ground;  rake  it  off  when  the 
sun  attains  sufficient  power  to  warm  the  soil  to  incite  root  extension, 
and  mulch  with  closer  manure  on  the  approach  of  hot  weather  for 
keeping  the  soil  moist  near  the  surface,  and  for  the  retentii  n  and 
multiplication  of  roots  there.  Cut  off  .two-thirds  of  the  long  strong 
shoots  of  the  newly  planted  trees  (the  roots  of  which  have  been  much 
shortened  in  the  process  of  digging  up)  when  the  buds  commence 
SAvelling  in  spring,  but  any  short  and  weak  branches  leave  unshortened, 
as  the  terminal  buds  of  these  will  be  the  first  to  produce  leaves 
and  summon  the  roots  into  activity.  In  due  time  the  weak  ]  arts 
should  be  removed,  as  the  better  growths  from  the  stronger  shortened 
stems  will  form  the  basis  of  the  tree.  Proceed  on  the  lines  indicated, 
and  a  thrifty  fruit  plantation  will  be  (stablished. 
Methods  A  and  B  would  cost  much  more  th  ,n  G,  but  give  sub¬ 
stantial  results  far  sooner  and  pay  much  better  in  the  course  ot  a  few 
years,  because  in  the  latter  case  a  great  extent  of  ground  would  be 
wasted  (or  devoted  to  growing  grass),  while  by  the  alternative  plans  it 
would  be  utilised  in  the  production  of  fruit  or  other  serviceable  crops. 
Under  the  management  of  a  competent  gardener  the  first  method  (A) 
would  be  preferable ;  the  second  (B)  is  simpler,  and  after  some  years 
bearing  every  other  tree  could  be  removed,  if  thought  desirable,  the 
remainder  standing  24  feet  asunder,  and  the  land  laid  down  to  grass. 
No.  2  Orchard.— Centenarian  or  bi-centenarian  trees,  Avhich  can  no 
more  be  made  healthy  bearers  of  superior  fruit  than  an  ancient 
decaying  Oak  can  be  reinvigorated,  or  a  hard- worked,  ill  fed,  actually 
worn  out  thirly*y ear-old  horse  can  be  made  young  and  strong  again. 
It  is  a  patriarchal  orchard,  picturesque,  but  cannot  be  made  prufitable. 
Nor  can  the  planting  of  another  on  the  same  site  be  advised,  for  the  trees 
during  all  those  years  of  occupation  have  practically  exhausted  the 
soil  of  fruit-growing  constituents.  If  a  new  orchard  were  desired  it 
would  be  far  cheaper  to  establish  and  give  much  better  results  in  a 
nevv  site.  Of  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  whatsoever.  Notes  on  the 
above  orchards  must  be  postponed.— ADA^SER. 
SIMILARITY  OF  LIFE  in  the  VEC^ETABLE  and 
ANIMAL  KINGDOMS. 
On  the  Border  Line. 
In  placing  the  two  great  kingdoms  in  juxtaposition,  it  is  possible 
that  whilst  faking  a  bird’s-eye  vievv  of  the  whole  of  vegetable  life  our 
vision  is  foreshortened  in  turning  to  the  animal  kingdom,  and  we  are 
apt  to  look  little  beyond  our  own  species  or  the  higher  forms  of  life 
immediately  beneath  our  notice.  Apropos  of  this,  Charles  Bennett,  a 
naturalist,  wrote,  “  We  can  only  judge  of  things  by  comparison,  and 
have  taken  our  ideas  of  animal  life  from  the  larger  animals.  .  .  . 
How  many  facts  are  ignored  which  Avill  come  one  day  to  derange  our 
ideas  of  subjects  Avhich  we  think  we  understand  !  At  present  we 
know  just  enough  to  be  aware  that  we  should  be  surprised  at 
nothing.” 
In  approaching  so  vast  a  subject,  so  vast,  indeed,  that  one  may 
well  pause  on  the  threshold  in  contemplating  the  infinite  phases  of 
created  life,  the  most  comprehensive  survey  that  the  mind  is  able  to 
take,  or  the  farthest  that  humaa  thought  is  able  to  travel,  must  fall 
short,  not  of  desire,  but  of  accomplishment  to  do  it  justice.  Certainly 
the  most  this  paper  can  pretend  to  do  is  to  show  some  salient  points  of 
similarity  between  the  two  kingdoms,  A\dth  the  hope,  a  vague  one  at 
the  best  perhaps,  that  it  may  strike  the  keynote  to  a  more  harmonious 
understanding  of  the  beauty  and  the  subtlety  of  this  silent  life,  and 
that  a  bond  of  sympathy  may  be  established  between  those  who 
labour  in  the  great  field  of  Nature  and  the  objects  of  their  care  to  the 
attainment  of  the  best  results. 
Going  back  to  the  very  border  line,  which,  indeed,  presents  so  little 
in  the  way  of  demarcation  that  Crabbe — who  wrote  at  a  time  Avhen  the 
twin  physiological  studies  exercised  the  minds  of  some  of  the  most 
brilliant  savants  of  that  or  any  day,  and  whose  poetical  effusions,  if 
somewhat  crude,  have  at  least  been  accredited  Avith  the  characteristics 
of  force  and  accuracy— in  expressing  the  difficulties  met  with  says  : — 
involved  in  sea-'wrack  here  you  find  a  race, 
Which  Science,  doubting,  knows  not  where  to  place. 
This,  howfVtr,  is  in  allusion  to  those  forms  of  life,  the  Polyp'» 
existing  in  water,  which  have  since  been  relegated  to  the  animal 
kingdom.  One  is,  perhaps,  inclined  to  ask  why  such  stupid  beings 
that  vegetate  rather  than  live,  deficient  in  all  the  organs  A\ffiich  we 
generally  associate  with  life  in  the  animal  kingdom,  should  be  placed 
in  it  ?  We  can  take  a  parent  Polyp,  make  him,  or  her  (it  does  not 
matter  Avhich),  into  cuttings,  each  cutting  developing  into  the  perfect 
plant — no,  animal — with  the  same  facility  with  Avhich  \ve  may  propa¬ 
gate  the  common  Stonecrop  by  chopping  it  up  and  sowing  it  broadcast. 
There  is  really  no  intention  of  questioning  the  rights  of  those  extra¬ 
ordinary  creatures  to  the  position  given  to  them  by  Science,  but  one 
could  hardly  fail  in  commencing  to  observe  hoAV  narrow  is  the  border 
line  betAveen  the  tAvo  kingdoms. 
The  Sensibility  of  Plants. 
Ere  briefly  touching  upon  this  interesting  phase  of  our  subject  the 
opinion  of  two  high  authorities  may  be  adduced.  Dr.  Lindley,  in  his 
general  considerations  upon  vegetable  ]ihysiology,  says,  “  The  analogy 
that  undoubtedly  exists  betAveen  plants  and  animals  is  moat  striking.” 
And  Professor  Asa  Gray  remarks,  “  The  spores  and  other  reproductive 
bodies  of  many  of  the  lower  Algae  may  claim  to  have  first  a 
characteristically  animal  and  then  an  unequivocally  vegetable 
existence.”  It  is  not  surprising  that  even  such  an  ardent  pupil  of 
Nature  as  the  great  Linnaeus  should  go  a  little  astray  in  tracing  the 
hidden  paths,  for  we  find  him  formulating  his  dicta  defining  the  then 
called  “  Three  Kingdoms  of  Nature  ”  as  follows : — “  Minerals  grow  ; 
vegetables  grow  and  live ;  animals  grow  and  live  and  feel.”  In  a  sense 
only  is  the  groivth  of  minerals  now  recognised,  such  bodies  increasing 
by  aggregation  or  superposition,  by  mechanical  or  chemical  agency. 
Travellers  Avho  followed  the  tracks  of  this  great  pioneer  have  come  to 
this  conclusion,  and  few  will  now  question  the  correctness  of  it ;  and 
they,  too,  have  done  something  toAvards  discovering  the  missing  link — 
the  break — which  Linnaeus  thought  sufficient  to  distinguish  befAveen 
the  two  great  kingdoms  of  life. 
We  have  yet,  possibly,  the  faintest  glimmer  of  light  to  show  that 
feeling,  as  represented  by  sensibility  to  touch,  (xists  in  plants;  but 
we  have  that,  and  who  shall  say  Avhat  the  search-light  of  science  may 
yet  reveal  in  the  silent  life  of  the  sister  kingdom,  or  to  what  depths 
