manner. {Forester's Guide,p.297.) A very simple and effective dendronicter will be found in the Ena/c.
of Agnc., 2d edit. § 4076.
5ft51. The value o f the invention consists in the use of the wheel, in taking the girth o fth e tree . Thus
“ atter having taken the length of the tree in feet and inches, which length may be taken by the rods as
already described, the girth is m ost generally taken at half th e length, which girth we are enabled to take
f t ’® by puWing up th e wheel, with as many of the connecting
11 put it up to the height req u ired ; then, suppose there a
ving before made a mark on the bark o fth e tree with the small rods, t
branches in the way,
the uppermost one having a
small marking-iron in its end for th a t purpose ; this mark is made where the girth is to be taken, and
from where you are to take your departure with the wheel, which being done, press the wheel round the
tree , followmg it, and keeping it as level as possible, which the wheel will in a great m easure do of itself
by Its havmg teeth hke a saw in the hem of the wheel, unless carelessly attended to. As the wheel goes
round the tree, be sure to count the number of times the bell strikes, which it does a t every fo o t; and
when you see you have not another 12in. or 1 I ft. more to run,r-— ■to '------' arrive ----- a ' t ” the place ’ where ’ you took • *
your
departure from, count the number of inches th th a a t t it it strike.
strikes over and above the last foot, and thus you
.•ill at once have the feet and inches th at the tree is i
, OT, • . ¿ ot£- ft® ft®® circumference; of which take the fourth,
and this gives you th e side of the square: but when there are branches in the way of getting round thè
tree, you must have a spare handle for th e machine {e, h), about 2 ft. or 2 ft. 6 in. in length ; and bv
altering the swivel-joint a t the top of the first rod to any position required, the person working the wheel
b y th e rods can stand m th e same place, and put the wheel, say half way round the tree, if it is verv large
and by turning th e swivel-joint, and reversing the wheel, at the same time sending it round the other
side of the tree till it meet where it left off, and by counting the feet and inches as above, and adding the
two together, you will at once have th e extreme girth of the tree. When branches are to measure, or
when branches are m the way of getting round th e tree with the rods, the person with th e small rods
riands on the opposite^ side of the tree, and directs th e person when to stop with th e wheel. Thus, bv a
h ttle practice m workmg th e wheel, and paying attention to count tho feet and inches as they strike two
men will measure growmg or standing trees equally as accurately and expeditiously as if th e trees were
lying on the ground. In taking the girth with a line, you have first to put it round the tree, then you
double It, and apply it to a foot-rule ; you then take the half for the side of the square, whereas this
machine gives you the exact feet and inches from the top of th e highest tree, without the help of anv
other rule, {lorester's Guide, p. 208.) Neither this machine, nor a mechanical dendrometer, invented
about twenty years ago, though both of considerable merit, appear to us so well calculated for general
use as the Timber Measurer of Broad {fig. 421.).
5962. The books o f accounts fo r trees and plantations have already been mentioned (1674.). Some have
roposed measuring the whole of, or a t least all the detached and hedgerow trees on an estate period-
yally ; numbering each tree, and keeping a corresponding register, by which the proprietor, when at a
¿stan c e , might give directions for cuttmg down particular trees, &c. ; but this appears ra the r too much
m the mercantile style for th e dignified employment of landed property, and does not promise any very
C h a p . V I I .
Formation o f a Nursery-Garden for the Propagation and Rearing o f Trees and
Shrubs.
5953. Nurseries for rearing trees are commonly left to commercial gardeners, as the
plantations of few private landowners are so extensive, or continued through a sufiicient
number of years, as to render it worth their wliile to originate aud nurse up their
own tree and hedge plants. Exceptions, however, occur in the case of remote situations,
and where tliere ai'e tracts so extensive as to require many years in planting. Besides,
as Sang observes, “ some ai*e of opinion, that trees, in order to their being rendered
sufficiently hardy, sliould be reai’ed on the soil and situation where they ai-e ultimately
to be planted; and if the design be extensive, and such as may reqnn-e many
years for its completion, a conveniently situated nursery is highly desirable, not only as
saving the carriage of plants, and facilitating the business of transplanting, but as increasing
the chance of success, on account of the plants remaining a much shorter time
out of the ground thau if brought from a distance. If the situation, however, iiltimately
destined for the trees be cold, high, and bleak, and the soil, of course, various, some good,
and much of it bad, or of an indifferent quality, there it would by no means be advisable
to attempt the establishment of a nursery, and especially a nursery to raise plants from
seeds. The chief properties of nursery plants, intended for transplanting, consist in
their strengtli and cleanness of stem, and in their roots having a multiplicity of healthy
fibres; and, in order to obtain plants possessing these qualities, it is necessaiy to sow, and
plant out to nurse, if not in rich, at least in mellow earth, and in a moderately sheltered
situation.” (Plant. Kal. p. 20.) The following directions, by Sang, as to the soil, shelter,
aspect, and fencing ot a nursery-garden, are equally applicable to such as are intended for
private or commercial purposes: —
5954. I n order to have a complete nursery, it should contain soils of various qualities, and not loss than
18 m. or 2 ft. deep; the generality of it should be light friable earth ; a part of it should he of a clayey
should, be peaty. Each of these will be found peculiarly useful in the raising
of th e different kinds of young plants. T h e whole should be well drained, and trenched, and cropped
w’th vegetables for one or even two years previously to sowing tree-seeds. For transplanting, it may be
used the first year. A nursery may certainly he over-sheltered ; “ but this is likely to happen onlv in
th e case of its bemg very sm a ll; for, if it extend to several acres, unless it be surrounded by very tall
tre e ^ the area will be considerably exposed. No part should be either too much exposed, or too much
sheltered. Any aspect from east to west, following the course of the sun, will answer. Ground of an
unequal surface is most likely to contain the various soils above mentioned. A nursery, should, therea
fore, in general, rise from a level to a
it is in that case very troublesome to h . „_________________ j .-..otuu w, » cu;
wall, or even a hedge 6 ft. high; and if it be of small size, say an acre or thereabouts, it will require Uu
other shelter: but if it extend to four or five acres, it must have dividing hedges properiy situated, to
afford shelter over all the space. The fence, whether of thorns or stone, should be made proof against
the admission of hares or rabbits. It should be subdivided into compartments and borders, of proportionate
pretty smart acclivity; yet no part of it should be too steep, because
0 labour. The nursery-ground maybe sufficiently fenced by a stone -iroro ro.... ro„ ro ro—ro ro_ rtl _______________ . 1, -
size to the contents of the area, by walks. T h e compartments should never be encumbered
with large trees,. ----------------- ' • . . . . . .
never fail to rob tl ,
being planted in the forest,
g ro u n d ,o r to have
p. 22.)
5955. In
‘ necessary,
I, as apples, pears, or the like; because,being already established in the ground, they
the young trees of their food, and to cause them to be poor and stunted, unworthy of
- forest.It would be very convenient to have a rill ofw ater passing through the
small pond, fed by a spring or a pipe, for th e purpose of watering. {Plant. Kal.,
preparing the soil fo r tke culture o f trees it will be advisable to trench it to its full depth, and
.. . y,” the same author continues, “ to give it a good dressing of lime or marl and dung iri compost.
Rank manure, such as stable litter, should not be applied to nursery ground, at the time of crop-
ping, with nursery articles ; but, if it be necessary to enrich it, this should be done by a manured crop of
onions, turnips, lettuces, or the like. Potatoes should never go before a crop of seedlings, even of the
coarser sorts, as ash, oak, or chestnuts ; because potatoes never can be taken clean out of the ground •
and it being indispensable to pull up those which rise among th e tree-seedlings, m any of these unavoidably
come up along with them. Hence, crops of lettuces, turnips, cabbages, or the „-rororo.4 ro fclro ro ro..roro ro .* ../.ro J 1 j r o T" Iro rolrororortl.:— J O T ,- ... ,• . like, should rather
ernately observing t
{Plant. Kal., p. 24.)
5956. For a private nursery, he continues, “ no place, certainly, can be more eligible than a field, which
may also be occupied as a kitchen-garden. If, for instance, three acres were required for the purposes
of nursery, and one or two acres were also required for extra kitchen-ground, or for green crops for
cattle-feeding, it would be proper to enclose five or six acres, less or more, according to circumstances •
by which means two important objects might be obtained ; viz. land of a good quality, and fine tilth for
the raising of seedlings; and an opportunity of effectually changing crops at pleasure. Carrots are
peculiarly scourging for a nursery, and, indeed, ra the r severe for most lands: but we have very seldom
found a good crop of trees followmg one of ca rro ts ; while we have found peas, beans, and especially
lettuces, easy and enriching crops, well adapted as preparers for succeeding crops of nursery articles.”
5957. In so fa r as respects public nurseries, “ we have long remarked, th a t those which are as much
market-gardens as nurseries, generally produce the best seedlings, and young articles, for sale : provided
that their ground be any thing more than of a middlmg quality. This fact, if one were wanting, is a
sufficient proof of the utility of occupying the ground, as above advised, in the double character of a
kitchen-garden and nursery.”
5958. In a cold climate, or bleak situation, “ with a poor barren soil, we would by no means advise the
raising of seedlings, either in public or private nurseries. It will be found a cheaper, as well as a more
satisfactory method, to purchase seedlings, transplant them, and nurse them till fit for final planting •
and, even, in this case, a piece of the bcst and most sheltered land in the situation will be necessary
for the purpose.” {Plant. Kal., p. 28.)
5959. A rotting-ground will be required for the preparation of certain seeds, by mixing them with
sand, ashes, or soil, and leaving them there for different periods, from six months to two years, to rot
off their exterior coverings. On a small scale, a portion of th e compost-ground of the kitchen-garden
may be used for this purpose. If the scale is large, an area of a few square poles should be set apart for
bedding in plants taken up for replanting, or what is called laying in by the heels, or shoughing: this is
generally called the bedding-ground, or (in Scotland) the shoughing-ground.
6960. Buildings. If the situation of the nursery be near to the kitchen-garden, and the latter have
the proper office-buMings, no other erection will be required for the nursery than a working-shed for
ordinary purposes, occasional shelter, and protection to newly taken up plants ; and for packing or
tying them up properly before sending them to their final situation, &c. Frames and hand-glasses may
be required for some of the more tender seeds and seedlings ; and, on a large scale, a seed-loft and its
appendages, as weli as an offlce for writing, &c., may require to be erected apart from those belonging
to the kitchcn-garden. ® °
5961. Stocking with plants. The ground being arranged, and prepared by one or more vegetable crops,
th e n ex t thmg is to stock it with stools, nr stock piants, to propagate from by layers, and to procuré
stocks for grafting or budding, but, especially in a private forest-tree nursery, with tree-seeds. In our
Hortus Britannicus will be found the particular mode of propagation, and the requisite soil for each
species and variety of tree and shrub in cultivation in the British Isles ; by inspecting these sources, it
will be seen what plants must be procured for stools. If the object is merely forest culture, few except
some limes, poplars, and planes, will be required ; but. if tender trees and shrubs are to bè reared the
number will be more considerable. Plant the tenderer sorts in the sheltered borders, and th e more
hardy in the open compartments : the tree kinds may be placed from 6 ft. to 8 ft. apart everv wav and
the more deh c^ e shrubs from 3 ft. to 6 ft. apart in suitable soils. Stocks for grafting, whether for
fruit or barren trees, are to be planted m nursery rows, according to their kinds ; those for marching
round the parent plant, or in pots. , c u» maieuiug
Culture and
C h a p . VUI.
a Nursery for Trees and Shrubs.
5962. The pnncipai objects of culture in a private tree-nursery are the hardy trees and
shrubs of the country, which produce seeds; and the great object ofthe private nui-sery-
gardener must be to collect or procure these seeds, to prepai-e them for sowing, to sow
them in their proper seasons, and to transplant and nurse them till fit for final planting.
We shall arrange the principal trees and shrubs which ripen their seeds in this country,
i'-s cones, nuts, bended stones, bemes with small seeds, leguminous seeds, and small soft
ied.s. Before treatinngg ooff tHhiea go-aftlfhheprriirnifgr, cstroarriinnrg-, separating »thUer o seedz-s , _so_w:i_n_g, and«
nursery culture, of each of these general divisions, it is essential to remark, that, in collecting
every kind of tree-seed, preference should be given to that produced by trees the
- I f f "ri V jÜ r S i l i i é lB lb «