40 ft. 9 in., and 43 ft.; while two others, planted in 1841, are refpedtively 32 ft, and 33 ft. In Scotland,
the largeft or rather the oldeft trees, as mentioned previoufiy (p. 13), are thofe introduced by the Hon. W.
Leflie Melville at Melville Houfe in Fife, where they exift in quantity. Thofe at Hopetoun Houfe, near
Queensferry, and in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, are of the fame age. The height of the latter at the
prefent date (1865) is 31 feet, with a ftem 5 feet 6 inches in circumference at 3 feet from the bafe. Mr
Spiers at Culcreuch has a tree, planted in 1833, which at fame date was 30 feet 9 inches high, and its girth
at bafe 4 feet 1 inch, and at 3 feet from ground 2 feet 11 inches. We need fcarcely occupy the time of the
reader in enumerating the fize of fmaller fpecimens.
While the plant was yet rare, it fometimes fuffered from much cherifhing. It was thought that its
drooping leader would be flrengthened by cutting in the fide branches, or that the plants might be made
more fhapely, by tying them up. Both are evil practices, oppofed to the plained principles of phyfiology.
All that fort of foflering is impofiible in large plantations; and we fee in them how much better the tree
profpers when Nature is left to herfelf. The principle may be correct enough, that if we prune the lower
and lateral branches, more vigour will be thrown into the leader. I n our own race, we know that if a man
has been deprived of one fenfe, his other fenfes become flrengthened at its expenfe. The fenfe of hearing
in the blind man is preternaturally acute; but who would dream of putting out a man's eyes to improve his
hearing ? On the fame principle of reafoning, why fhould he fpoil the lower part of the tree to improve
its upper part? There may be, and arc in horticulture, many cafes where it is defirable to invite
Nature to improve upon herfelf, but this is not of them. Let us take the tree as it is given to us, and
allow it fair fcope to develop its own properties, and not attempt to give it a form or a character which
does not belong to it.
One fimple expedient for improving the growth of the tree may be noticed. It is to keep the turf cut
away round the tree, fo that plenty of moifture may reach the roots, and no injury be done by the foil being
bound. Mr Hollingworth, of Turkey Mill, near Maidflone, in Kent, has fome remarkable inflances of
the fuccefs of this treatment; and as it affimilates the
condition of the tree to its (late in its native condition,
there can be no doubt that it is right in principle as
well as in practice.
The Deodar is not difficult to propagate by cuttings,
and it can be readily inarched or grafted upon
the Cedar. Grafting the Deodar on the Larch was at
one time largely practifed, and with its varieties this is
flill fometimes done. The young plants get fickly or
die off, however, in a few years, unlefs the graft is made
fo low as to allow of its rooting above its union with the
Larch. At Kingfton Hall, in Nottinghamfhire, many
plants were killed in the winter of i860, and among
them were all the grafted plants. The large fupply of
feeds fo liberally diflributed by the Eafl India Company
has, however, made plants fo common in this country,
and the example they fet of importing feed has been fo
well followed by private fpeculators, that there is no need
to have recourfe to multiplying plants artificially. We
(hall foon alfo have a fufficient fupply of feed from the
young trees growing in this country. Already they
have begun to bear fruit, and every year will add to the
number of thofe doing fo. The firft fpecimen in Europe which we have heard of as bearing fruit was a fine
tree at Mr Kett Barclay's, at Bury Hill, near Dorking. It fruited in 1852, when the tree was 28 feet high.
The