In nurseries, the great and general error is having the plants too close together, particularly in the row. Every nursery-row plant should be of a regular cone figure, with numerous side-branches down near to the root, and gradually widening in the cone downwards. These would, indeed, occupy more space of package, and probably not please the ignorant purchaser, who generally prefers a clean, tall body; but they would support the hardships of removal to the moor, and be stately trees; when the comely, straight, slender plants would either have died altogether, or have become miserable, unsightly skeletons, or stunted bushes. {177}
In cases where plants are required of considerable size, for hedge-rows or park-standards, it is matter of doubt, how far frequent removals in nursery, or cutting of roots, is profitable. This occasions fibrous matted roots, which tend much to the success of the ultimate removal, and to the growth of the plant for several years after; but, by checking the disposition the roots naturally have to extend by several wide-diverging leaders, probably unfit the plant for becoming a large tree.
Mr Sang remarks that sycamore planes and birch should not be pruned in the latter part of the winter, as they bleed greatly at that season: we have often noticed this as early as midwinter, which also occurs to the maple tribe. Our author introduces the mountain-ash as a forest tree, a rank it by no means merits, at least for value as a timber tree. When exceeding six inches in diameter, it is generally rotted in the heart, and is only valuable as a copse for affording pliant, tough rods; or twigs, as a charm or fetiche against witchcraft! It is, however, one of our most beautiful trees.
Mr Sang gives directions for kiln-drying fir cones previous to thrashing out, or extracting the seeds. We have before adverted to this, and would {178} particularly reprehend the practice. It is difficult to determine how far early fruitfulness and consequent infirmity of constitution, diminutiveness of size at maturity, and early decay, may originate from kiln-drying the cones; but, from the same process of drying in a less degree having been ascertained to induce early seed-bearing in the case of other seeds, we may infer almost to certainty, that the coniferæ of this country, not naturally planted, are very materially injured by this practice.
It is of small consequence, in reference to the tree itself, at what season deciduous trees are planted, provided they be naked of leaf, and the ground not too dry, as they are not liable to lose much by desiccation or evaporation by the bark alone, before the roots strike anew in spring, and draw freely from the soil; and the skin of the bulb, although the small rootlets be broken, sucks up moisture from the damp soil to repair the loss by superior evaporation: but evergreens—firs, hollies, laurels, yews, sometimes suffer by removal at a time when the roots do not immediately strike, as in winter, owing to the torpor from cold. We have often seen their juices exhausted, and their leaves entirely withered, by a continuation of dry northerly winds, the manifest cause of which {179} was the great superficial exposure of the leaves evaporating faster than the fractured torpid roots afforded supply. Therefore, although winter planting seldom fails, yet it is perhaps better to seize the exact time in spring, immediately before the roots commence to strike anew, before there is any new top-growth, and while the soil and air remain somewhat moist and cold, that the evaporation may not be too great. In this climate, April is a good season for removing evergreens to the field, although, to throw the work from the busy season, it is often practised in the nursery in September, when their annual growths are completed, and while there is yet warmth to enable the roots to strike anew; this, however, is only advisable where the soil for their reception is in the most favourable state, friable, and inclining to moist, or when there is great indication of rain, and the air near the dew point. Of course they require to be planted as soon as extracted. In winter or spring, when it happens that evergreens must lie in the shough, the most protected situation, where the air is moist and still, ought to be chosen, and the earth carefully closed to their roots, which is best done by watering, if rain be not expected; the stems and branches should also lie as close to the ground as possible. {180}
There is appended to this valuable Planter’s Calendar a treatise on the Formation and Management of Osier Plantations. As this will not bear compression well, we refer our reader to the volume itself.
III. BILLINGTON ON PLANTING.
We have perused Billington’s account of the management of the Royal Forests with much profit; it affords us an excellent series of experiments, shewing how much conduct and integrity may exist in Government establishments, even although the strictest watch be not kept over their motions by the nation itself. Words are awanting to express our admiration of every thing connected with the management of our misnamed Royal Wastes. We scarcely could have hoped to find such pervading judgment and skill of calling, as have been displayed by the Commissioners, and Surveyors General and Particular; but it is true, the noble salaries attached to these situations must induce men of the very first ability and knowledge of the subject, to accept of the office.
Our author, Mr Billington, proceeds with great naiveté to relate how they sowed and resowed acorns—how they planted and replanted trees, persevering even to the fifth time, sometimes covering the roots, and sometimes not, “but all would not avail,” nothing would do; the seeds did not vegetate, and the {182} plants refused to grow, excepting in some rare spots, and a few general stragglers. Then how the natural richness of the soil threw up such a flush of vegetation—of grass, and herbs, and shrubs, that most of these plants were buried under this luxuriance; and how the mice and the emmets, and other wayfarers, hearing, by the bruit of fame, of the wise men who had the governing of Dean, assembled from the uttermost ends of the island, expecting a millennium in the forest, and ate up almost every plant which had survived the smothering. Now, this is well; we rejoice over the natural justice of the native and legitimate inhabitants of the Royal Domain, the weeds mastering the invaders the plants, who, year after year, to the amount of many millions, made hostile entrance into the forest. We only deplore the cruel doom of the mice, on whose heads a price was laid, and of the emmets, who, acting as allies of the native powers, merited a better fate than indiscriminate slaughter.
May we hope that our Government will no longer persist in unprofitable endeavours to turn cultivator, or to raise its own supply? We laugh at the Pasha of Egypt becoming cotton-planter and merchant himself, in a country where the exertions of a man enlightened beyond his subjects, who has influence {183} to introduce intelligent cultivators, possessing the knowledge of more favoured nations, may be necessary to teach and stimulate the ignorant Copt to raise a new production: And here, where discovery in every branch of knowledge almost exceeds the progressive—here, where so many public and government fixtures stand out, as if left on purpose to indicate the recent march of mind, contrasting so strongly with private and individual attainment in science and art,—with every thing the reverse of what affects the Egyptian’s conduct; or, at least, with no excuse beyond affording a cover for a wasteful expenditure of the public money;—will our Government continue the system, heedless of reason or ridicule? or will they not at once end these practices, and immediately commence sales of every acre of ground to which the Crown has claim, excepting what is necessary for the use of royalty, abolishing Woods and Forest Generals, Rangers—every one who has taken rank under Jacques’ Greek, or the devil’s own invocation, and pay off a part of the debt which is crushing the energies of the first of nations?