This volume, which ought to have been named Sang’s Nurseryman’s Calendar, is a work of very considerable merit and usefulness, where the craft of the common nurseryman is plainly and judiciously taught. The editor, Mr Sang, admits that he was very little indebted to the notes of his friend (the late Mr Nicol) for the matter of the volume; and the work itself bears evidence of this, being principally devoted to the operations of the nursery, the sowing and planting of hard-wood trees, which are described with a judgment and accuracy attainable only by long experience in that line, to which we understand Mr Sang belongs. Every person engaged with the sowing, planting, or rearing of timber, if he be not too wise or too old to learn, should forthwith procure this volume.
Mr Sang recommends sowing of forests in preference to planting, which many before him have done, we believe, more from conjecture that nature’s own process must be superior to any method of art, than from any experience of the fact or accurate {164} knowledge of—at least without giving sufficient explanation of, any cause rendering the tree of more puny growth in consequence of being transplanted. In the case of simple herbaceous vegetables, we find, on the contrary, that transplanting increases the size, protracts the period of full development, and retards the decay, the individual suffering no lasting injury from root fracture, or that injury being more than compensated by change to a new and more recently wrought soil; or even the root fracture, instead of being of prejudice to the growth, by throwing the energy of the plant in this direction to repair the injury, not only may do so, but delaying the superior process towards reproduction38, may also give a {165} new vigour to the soft fibrous rootlets, and greater extension than they otherwise would have attained. But in regard to some kinds of compound plants of perennial stem, transplanting, especially when the plant has attained some size, by fracture, throws the main wide diverging roots into numerous rootlets and slender matted fibres, none of which has individual strength to extend as a leader far beyond the shade of the spreading top, thence forage in a drier, more exhausted soil, and, from consequent want of supply of moisture, the sap of the tree stagnates into flower, or merely leaf-buds, instead of flowing out into new wood. The fibrous softer rooting vegetables sustain no lasting injury from root-fracture and transplanting; but the harder, more woody, larger growing roots, losing their leader, never entirely recover their original power of extention. Yet we think that one or two year old plants, taken from the seed-bed, would suffer little or no injury from removal, as the tap-root, which is ultimately of no consequence, never constituting a leader, but eventually {166} disappearing, is the only part which suffers fracture in the woody state; and the side shoots, which become the grand root leaders, are in the fibrous state, which easily repairs small injury. These observations refer only to certain kinds of timber trees. The willows, poplars, and lindens, succeed better when their roots are cropped in near the bulb when removed. We planted a piece of trenched ground, partly with poplar plants, with good roots, from a nursery, and partly with poplar loppings, about the same size as the plants, stuck into the ground: the loppings grew more luxuriantly than the nursery plants. The same occurs with willows—with this difference, that willow-loppings do better with the top entirely cropped, without any twigs or external buds; the poplar only pruned a little, with a terminal bud left on every twig, especially on the top shoot. The superiority of the growth of those without roots, results from their having fewer buds and twigs to exhaust the juices before the formation of new fibrils to draw from the ground, these few buds thence continuing to push more strongly, and from the roots growing more vigorously when sprung anew, than when they are a continuation of the wounded deranged old ones.
New rootlets spring out much sooner and more {167} boldly from the thick vigorous green stem bark, than from the delicate tender root bark, and also more vigorously from the bark of the bulb than from the bark of the remote roots, of those soft-wooded trees; indeed, it appears to be owing alone to the great strength of the vitality of the bark of the stem, that those kinds are so capable of continuation by cuttings. The roots have nearly the same delicacy of those of other kinds of trees, and show no particular readiness to throw up sprouts when bared.
Mr Sang, in furtherance of his advocated scheme of raising forests in situ from the seed, sensible of the general impracticability of fallowing or working the ground all over previous to sowing, gives directions for pitting or stirring the earth the previous spring and summer, in spots about fourteen inches square, and from six to nine feet separate, burying the turf under the soil, in order that it may be rotted, and a fine friable mould obtained for reception of the seeds to be sown the following spring; several seeds are then deposited in each spot, equidistant; these require to be hand-weeded the first season, and the resulting plants hoed around for several successive years, till they have mastered the weeds, after which they are all plucked out but one (the most promising) in each spot. This is all very well, {168} if we could have patience and assiduity to proceed thus systematically; and if the mice, birds, and other enemies, would “let them be;” but although this plan, when a braird is obtained, and the tufts cleaned, and seasonably thinned, is probably the best, yet landlords, in general incapable of exertion, but under the excitement of a fresh thought, are so infirm of purpose; tenure of life and property are so precarious; and trusted servants, especially when the procedure has originated with another, are so liable to be negligent, that our amateurs ought to gratify their passion for improvement while it lasts, and proceed at once by purchase of plants, and pitting or slitting, which procures them a forest immediately palpable to view. There is no doubt, however, that wooing the soil to kindliness, rearing the infant plant from the germ, and superintending a principio the entire beautiful process of vegetable development, will afford a deeper charm to a patient lover of nature; and that the continued solicitude and attentions required during this process acting upon man’s parental instinct, will excite an interest hardly to be felt towards a child of adoption.
A nursery gives such facility to the rearing of the plants, that, taking into account the greater chance of failure by sowing in situ than by planting, the {169} latter practice will be executed for one half the expense of the former. Supposing that the progress, after twenty years’ occupancy of the ground, be equal in both cases,—at which period, however, we think the transplanted would still have the advantage,—it would require a considerable ultimate superior progress in those sown, to outbalance the accumulating value of the extra expense. It is probable a combination of both practices might be advantageously followed—sowing the soils and situations most suitable, and transplanting the thinnings of these into the more exposed unpropitious places39. The matter, however, must, after all, be left to the test of experiment in a variety of soils and situations.
This volume, being principally a monthly detail of a nursery practice, which has supported the test of competition, has, on this account, a very different credit and value from much that has been published of landlords’ practice, theorists’ conjectures, or adventurers’ quackery. The burthen of our author’s song, which, from the nature of the work, falls to be repeated at several of the calendary periods, and which perhaps cannot be too often repeated, is nearly as follows.
Procure good seed of the best varieties from large healthy trees, and preserve these in husk in dry {170} well-aired places till sowing; with the exception of ash keys, haws, holly-berries, roans, and yew-berries, which require to be put in the rot-heap as soon as gathered. The rot-heap consists of seed mixed with sandy earth formed into a layer not exceeding ten inches in thickness; this is turned several times before midwinter, when it is covered with a layer of earth about seven inches deep, to exclude the frost. After remaining in this heap one year—till September, or the following February, these seeds are sown out.
Sow seeds of trees during the last half of February, March, or April, on beds of high manured easy soil, in very fine tilth, and clear of weeds, such as follows hoed green crop, in distance and depth in proportion to the size of the seed, or rather of the annual stem or braird. To deposit the seed at an equable depth, the upper friable mould is pushed (cuffed) off the bed to the interstices between by the reversed head of a rake, as deep as necessary; the seed is then deposited by the hand, and rolled over by a very light roller to fix it, that it may not suffer derangement by the return of the earth which is then evenly cuffed back from the sides, and no harrowing or raking given.
Watch most narrowly, and ward off or destroy all {171} kinds of vermin, mice, snails, birds, till the time when the rising braird has disencumbered itself of the husk of the seed thrown up by the ascending stem, and nip out every weed as soon as discernible by the naked eye. In order to diminish the toil of watching, the different kinds should be sown as near the same time as their nature renders prudent, and the seed-beds be situated as near each other as circumstances will admit.
At the end of the first or second season, according to size and closeness of plants, remove the seedlings from the bed to nursery rows, at any time when the leaf is off, and the ground sufficiently dry not to poach; before April for deciduous trees, and during April for evergreens, placing them in rather open order, either by dibbling or laying, according to the nature of the root, firming the plants well in the ground; in case of dibbling, taking good heed to leave no vacuum of hole under the root, and to work the tool so as to compress the earth more below than above.
Keep the soil loose and friable on the surface, and clear of weeds between the transplanted rows by repeated seasonable hoeings, and let the plants rise with a single leader.
After the plants have stood one or two years in {172} the nursery-row, remove them to their ultimate destination with as little fracture or exposure of root as possible,—the larger rooted by pitting, and the smaller by slitting, or as the nature of the soil may require; paying most particular attention to plant the dry ground early after the leaf has dropped, and the moister and more adhesive soils in succession, as they become so dry in spring as not to adhere to the tools in working, or poach in treading the plant firm in; removing the evergreens earlier, or later, in April, according to the dryness or moistness of the ground; dipping the roots in a clay-puddle, and endeavouring to seize the opportunity of planting before a shower, should the spring be far advanced and dry, especially in the more arid situations.
Stout healthy seedlings, one or two years old, may be at once removed from the seed-bed to their place in the forest, and will often succeed as well as when nursed in rows, as above.———We have preferred the pick of the seedlings to the common run of the transplanted, as being probably stronger growing varieties.
In cases where it is practicable, work over the new plantations for several years with crops of potatoes, turnips, lettuce, &c., manuring the ground, if {173} possible; and then sow out with perennial rye-grass and white clover, if the trees are not become a close cover, making economical use of the grass as early in the season as it can be mowed with a short scythe.
For seeds that require to lie a season in the rot-heap, such as ash keys, haws, &c. September-sowing is preferable to deferring it to the following spring, as they are liable to chip in the heap. If not sown in September, they must be got in as soon in February as possible.
Acorns, Spanish and Horse Chestnuts, are best sown when they drop from the tree; but when the seed is not procured till spring, the sowing ought not to be deferred beyond February and March. The best soil is a deep rich loam.
Elm-seed may be sown in June, when it is new from the tree, or carefully dried and kept over season till next spring; one-half may then be sown in March, and the other in April, as the March-sown is sometimes injured by late frosts. The utmost care is required to prevent this seed from heating when newly gathered.
Beech braird is also liable to be cut off by spring frost; the seed should therefore be sown partly in March and partly in April, to diminish the chance {174} of entire failure. The soil requires to be rich, and is benefited by a dressing of well-made manure previous to sowing.
Sycamore Plane braird also suffers by late frost, and for greater security ought also to be sown partly in March and partly in April. Planes require dry, poor, rather exposed sandy soil, for seed-bed; as, in rich damp soil, the top of the annual shoot does not ripen: the seed ought to be thinly sown.
Birch and Alder seeds require to be sown in March, or beginning of April, on very fine, rich, easy mould, giving them very slight cover, especially the birch.
The Coniferæ, Scots Fir, Spruce, Silver Fir, &c. should be sown in April, on very rich easy soil. The greatest care is required to deposit these different seeds at proper regular depth, from an inch to the fourth of an inch, in proportion to the size of the seed.
Larch should also be sown in April; it succeeds best on the clean mellow ground which has produced a crop of seedling Scots fir. It is worthy of remark, that the larch seedlings and row-plants are liable to die under a putrescent disease, when much recent manure is employed.—We remark this accordance with its tendency to putrid disease in after life. {175}
Acorns, Chestnuts, and other large seeds, may be economically sown in drill: where the soil contains much annual weed seed, this admits of expeditious cleaning by the hoe. Ground which has borne a crop of potatoes the preceding season, is unfit for seed-beds, as the tubers and seed of the potato give much trouble.
These are the chief of Mr Sang’s directions on raising timber-plants. With the exception of kiln-drying of cones, and being rather too prodigal of manure to the seed-beds (perhaps necessary in a sale nursery), we see nothing in the volume to censure.—A premium should be offered for a convenient plan of distributing fir-seed suitably in the seed-bed, without the aid of artificial drying.
It is perhaps unnecessary to state, that, in the culture of trees, there are thousands of incidental circumstances to which general directions will not apply, and which demand a discriminating judgment in the operator: this acts as a school to the mental acumen; and there is no class of operative men, which has the faculties of attention, activity, discrimination, and judgment, more developed, than nurserymen and gardeners,—whose diversified labours, requiring, at the same time, constant mental and corporeal exertion, keep up a proper balance of the human powers. {176}
We leave to the judgment of the operator to proportion the thickness of sowing of the different kinds of seed to the expected size of stem and leaf, under regulation of soil, season, and quality of seed; and to determine whether the plants may be continued more than one season in the seed-bed, or be entirely or partly drawn the first, which must depend on their luxuriance and closeness; also to notice if all the seeds have vegetated the first season, or if many of them still be inert; in the latter case, the seedlings must be picked out; to facilitate which, the earth may be gently raised by a three-pronged fork, with as little superficial disturbance as possible.
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.