Ì P ‘Ì m: ; î } kS'l*; rii lït • ‘ :
S e c t . V. Trees and Shrubs hearing leguminous Seeds, their Gathering, Soioing, and
Kearing.
6000. The principal hardy leguminous trees and shrubs which ripen their seeds in
Britain, are as follow : —
C'oliltoa arboréscens, October,
cruenta, October.
Jialóppica, November,
médiii, October.
Coronilla E'merus, October.
Cytisus i/abiirnum, October.
Cytisus alpinus, October,
nigricans, September,
sessilifòlius, October,
aiistviacus, September,
hirsùtus, September.
Robinia Psoùrt-Acàda, November.
viscósa, October.
Gleditscbia liórriila, November.
triacántlios, Noveml)cr.
Caragàna arboréscens, October.
6001. Gathering and keeping. These being collected are to be dried thoroughly in an airy loft, and the
pods being afterwards threshed or opened, the seeds may be preserved in bags or boxes till spring, or
sent to any distance.
6002. Sowing. The season for sowing all of them is F ebrua ry; the soil should be light, deep, and
sandy, and the seeds placed an inch apart, and covered three quarters of an inch thick. This should be
particularly attended to in the case of th e laburnum, th e seeds of which, being generally sure growers,
if they rise thick, the plants lose their leaves about midsummer, become mildewed, and die.
S e c t . VI. Trees and Shrubs bearing small soft Seeds, their Gathering, Sowing, and
Bearing.
6003. The principal hardy trees and shrubs with small seeds, which ripen them in Britain,
are as under ; —
A'lnua glutinósa, November.
Détula àlba, aud other species, October,
li’lmus campéstris, June.
gliXbi'a, June.
Pópulus nigra, May.
Pópulus trèmula. May.
àlba, May.
balsamifera, May.
/à lix àlba, June.
peutàndra, and other species, Aug.
Syringa vulgàris, October.
Cistus, various species, September.
Philadélplius coronàrius, October.
.Shùa Cótinus, and other species, July.
6004. Gathering and hcej
to drop out of their cones a
^ All these require to be gathered as soon as ripe, otherwise some are apt
1 capsules, as the alder, birch, and lila c ; and others to be blown away and
lost, as the eim, poplar, willow, and .sumach. They should be gathered perfectly dry, and spread thin in
an airy loft, till fit to put up in bags or boxes, for keeping or deportation.
6005. Soioing. Most of the sorts may be sown immediately after being gathered, in which case they
will be more certain of germina ting; and a number of elms, poplars, and willows will come up the
same autumn. But as protection during winter will, in that case, become requisite, th e better way, in
general, is to defer sowing till March or April; when all th e sorts m ay b e sown in light rich earth,
ra th e r moist, and covered not more than half an inch. The principal tree of this class is the broadleaved
elm, which, when intended for two-year seedlings (in most cases the preferable age for transplanting),
should be sown to rise a t least 2 in. apart, as the plants grow with great vigour even the first
year.
6006. Their transplanting and fu tu r e culture are the same as directed for berried stones, keys, &c.
S e c t . VII. Culture common to all the Classes o f Tree-Seeds.
6007. Insects and vermin. New-sown seeds of most kinds are greedily devoured by
various descriptions of vermin. Mice attack “ acorns, sweet cliestnuts, hazel-nuts,
walnuts, and holly-seeds. They not only eat them
on the spot, but tliey carry to their retreats great
numbers of the seeds of which they are most fond.
The cheapest, and perhaps the most effectual trap
for their destruction, is the well known, but neglected,
fourth figure trap {fig. 967.). A very
effective mouse trap is formed by burying an
empty flower-pot with the bottom uppermost, and
the hole covered with a handftil of straw, as shown
in fig. 968. (See Gard. Mag., vol. ii. p. 278.) Another
plan is to sink bell-glasses filled half full of water, with a little oatmeal strewed
over the water, and a little also on the earth outside of the bell-glass; covering the
wliole with some loose straw to prevent evaporation
in summer, and freezing in winter.
(Ibid., vol. vii. p. 593.) The new-sown haws
and mountain ash bciries are a prey to the
chafiinches, green linnets, and other birds. If
the quantity sown be not great, the beds
may be hooped over and covered with small-
meshed nets. But if a great breadth of
ground be sown, it must be constantly watched
after sowing. If the watching be vigilantly
attended to, for a few days immediately after
sowing, the seeds will not need much more
attention till they begin to break the ground; at which period the watching should be
closely and regularly continued. As they are always the strongest and best-ripened
seeds which rise first, it is therefore of much importance to prevent these from being picked
up.” {Plant. Kal., p. 250.) In May the pines and firs will begin to pierce the ground
with the husks of the seeds still on thcir tops, and then watching the birds becomes of
the utmost importance ; not one ought to be allowed to light on the beds; to prevent
which will require unremitting attention from break of day till sunset, for five or six
weeks, till the plants arc all up, and have thrown off their husks. After the nuts, mast,
and haws have come up, they are no longer in danger from mice, or birds, but they
may be attacked by snaiis, and grubs of beetles and cockchafers at thcir roots. These
may be captured and destroyed by placing slices of potatoes or turnips near the plants,
either above or beneath the cai-th, accordmg to the nature of tho vermin; examining
the bait every morning, and replacing it so long as appeai-s necessary.
6008. Weeds. Before the tree-seeds come up, a crop of weeds will probably have made their appearance:
these must be removed when young, otherwise drawing out their roots will materially disturb the vegetating
seeds.
6009. Stirring the soil. ‘ It not unfrequently happens, that the land in which fir and larch seeds have
been sown, becomes battered by heavy rains. This will certainly happen if rain fall immediately after
sowing before the surface become d ry ; but if it once be fully dried after sowing, and before the rain
fall, it will seldom or never batter. Suppose, however, the seed-beds are battered, so that the tender
seeds cannot rise with freedom, the best way to relieve them is to draw over them a wooden roller, stuck
over with lath-nails a t half an inch distance, and driven in so as to remain half an inch beyond the wood
of the roller. 'I'he roller should not be more than 30 in. long and not more than 30 lbs. weight. By
drawing this roller along the one side of the battered bed, while walking in the allev, and returning with
it over the other, an ordinary-sized bed will be completely relieved. Some people rake their battered
beds, in order to enable the seeds to rise. This is a most dangerous and destructive method of relieving
vegetating plants. From their tender state, the smallest twist breaks them over, and consequently
destroys them. We have experienced much advantage from using the light-armed roller, here recommended.
It is, however, much better when no such are required. The surest way to guard against the
need of such means, is to work the land when it is in a proper condition, and to sow the seeds in such
weather as th a t the surface after sowing will be fully dry before rain come on. There is no dispensing
with this precaution, when it is wished to secure an equal and good crop ol seedlings.” {Plant. Kal.,
p. 367.)
6U10. Watering and shading. In June severe droughts very often set in, and thesea revery prejudicial
to small seeds, especially those o fth e resinous tribe, when rising through the soil. At this time watering
and shading may be applied with great advantage, provided the former is accompanied by the latter,
and daily attended to from the time it i.s commenced till rain falls. T h e best mode of shading is by the
w'attlcd Imrdle. By the end of July the seedling piants of most sorts will be out of danger, and, except
a few of the tender sorts specified as requiring protection in winter, or by hand-glass or cold-frame, will
require no other care but weeding till fit to be transplanted.
S e c t . VIII. Propagating Trees by Layers, Cuttings, Suckers, Grafting, ^c.
6011. LayeHng is, next to rearing from seeds, the most general mode of propagating
hardy trees and shrubs.
6012. The more common species o f forest trees to which this mode is applicable are, the A'cer jDlata-
noides, Pseùdo-PIàtanus, tatàricum, dasycárpum, O'palus. and other species ; Negündo /raxinifòlia ; 7>írt..lro .. ro ro..1 : C XU ro rt .X V. ro ro . 77.>ro...ro rt*ro rort. ■ roC „ ro ro . 01.<rtroro..ro ro ro ro { A ro.. J-> 1 Ï ro ....3 ..rtirort.Xljg,
7'!mus camrt
. , , . rt . nursery varieties,
iome of these, as the poplars and planes, are also propagated by cuttings ; but layers make the strongest
plauts. Whenever seeds can be procured, however, it is best to propagate in th a t way, as likely to produce
the largest trees. The other trees propagated by layers, and also all th e shrubs so propagated, will
be found in our Hortus Britannicus, and the more common of them in th e Arboricultural Catalogue
which forms the following chapter. The situations and distances for planting stools in the nursery have
been already mentioned ; and, as there is nothing peculiar in the operation of layering timber trees or
shrubs, we have merely to refer to the general directions as to layers and stools. The young or preceding
year’s shoots of ail the sorts above enumerated, if layered in autumn or winter, will be fit for being
detached and planted in nursery lines by that time twelvemonth. They should be transplanted into
well comminuted soil, suitable, as far as practicable, to the nature of each ; and the distances should be
regulated by the size of the layers and the time they are to be nursed. For ordinary purposes layers
need not be nursed more thau two years ; but for single trees and ornamental plantations, they should
be several times removed, and close pruned, till they have attained 6 ft. or 8 ft. in height. Evergreen
trees and shnibs, as being more tender than the others, should be layered in March and April, and from
August to October. Some sorts root most freely when the wood is in a succulent state ; and of such the
current year’s shoots are laid about midsummer. This is practised with Stuártm, rf'rbutus, Andrómeda,
Kálmm, Azalea, Magnòlia, Alatérnus, Phillyrea, i a ù r u s nóbilis and Sassafras, Xanthóxylum, Cydònia
japónica, &c. The same practice is adopted with other free-growing sorts that it is wished to multiply
as rapidly as possible ; as Pòsa, J/ibîscus, Lonicera, Caprifòlium, Aristotòka, Aféspilus, &c. Layers
of the last sorts made during summer from the same year’s shoots, will be fit to detach by the winter, or
the following spring ; of the other sorts seldom sooner than the second August, or autumn ; but even
then a season is gained, as the l ^ e r s of those plants made in autumn generaily require to remain two
years before they have made sumcient roots. The layers of all evergreens should be removed a t th»
proper seasons for pruning, laying, or transplanting th at tribe ; that is, April and May, and in August
and September.
6013. ctttózngs is th e next general m o d eo f propagating trees and shrubs, and the common forest
trees generally so multiplied are as follow: — Plâtanus occidentàlis and orientà lis; Pópulus angulàta,
balsaraifera, dilatàta, græ'ca, monilifera, nlgra, péndula, and trèpida ; Sàlix, all the tree species ; and
Sambùcus nlgra. These are also propagated by layers, and a few of them by seeds ; which la.«t, it should
never be forgotten, is by far the best mode wíiere timber trees are the object. The numerous tribe of
shrubs propagated by cuttings will be found in the h o r tu s Britannicus, already referred to.
6014. The manner o f forming and planting cuttings has been already described. The seasons for deciduous
and evergreen woody plants are the same as for layering ; and as in the latter mode of propagation,
so in multiplying by cuttings, some sorts succeed best when the current year’s wood is taken at
midsummer ; as, for example, Laúrus æstivàlis, Benzoin, and Sassafras; Bignònia, Puphórbrá, Phlòmis,
Pòsa, Santolina, &c. Cuttings of some of these sorts, made of one-year-old wood in spring or autumn,
require to stand two seasons before they have made sufficient roots to admit of thcir removal ; hy midsummer
cuttings one year is gained. The same practice may be applied to deciduous sorts ; but the
plants produced are not so strong as by cuttings of the ripened wood. AU cuttings require to be planted
in a shady situation, and sandy soil, dry a t bottom ; but to be kept somewhat moist by occasional water-
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