1684
ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.
PART III.
The alder, it has been already mentioned, was used by the ancients forboats; and Professor Martyn suggests that a hollow alder, falling into thestream on the hanks of which it grew, may have given the first idea of a boatto man. Virgil and Lucan both mention this use of the tree. Among theold English poets, Browne alludes to the shade of the alder not injuring thegrass that grows under it: —
“ The alder, whose fat shadow nourisheth,
Each plant set neere to him long flourisheth.”
And Spenser speaks of the alders on the banks of the Mulla, in his ColinClout's come home again.
“ * One day,’ quoth he, * I sate, as was my trade,
Under the foot of Mole, that mountain hoar,
Keeping my sheep among the cooly shadeOf the green alders on the Mulla’s shore.’ ”
Soil and Situation. It was commonly recommended to plant the alder inswamps; and, doubtless, from its roots running near the surface, it will thrivebetter in such situations than many other trees ; but it is a great mistake tosuppose that the alder, or any other tree, will either grow rapidly, or attain alarge size, except in good soils, liberally supplied with moisture, but by nomeans at all times soaked with it. A little reflection will convince us that, inall countries, the best soils are on the banks of rivers and lakes; because tosuch situations the finer earths have been carried down from the highergrounds for ages, whether these grounds have been under water, or exposedto the atmosphere. A good soil, on the margin of stagnant water, the sur-face of which is some feet below the surface of the ground, promises to be amore favourable situation than either the banks of a river, where the watervaries in height at different periods of the year, and where there cannot be avery rich deposition of mud; or a good soil on the margin of water at, ornearly on, the same level with it. This is very well proved by two trees ofabout the same age: one on the flat banks of the piece of water at Syon, andthe other on the raised bank of an old moat at Woburn Farm. The soil, inboth cases, is equally rich ; but at Syon the main roots of the tree are nearlyon a level with the water, while at Woburn Farm the main roots are somefeet above it. One of the most favourable situations for growing the alderfor poles is, an island the side of which is 2 ft. or 3 ft. above the level of thewater. Such islands, when so planted with alders, are called alder beds;as they are called osier holts, when planted with willows. Ten years’growth in such a bed, Cobbett states, will produce poles 20 ft., or more, inlength; with but ends of from 4 in. to 6 in. in diameter. The alder,Mr. Sang observes, is found in the highest perfection in moist soils; and,though it will grow freely in light elevated lands, it has a tendency in suchsituations to dry and impoverish the soil, not being satisfied unless it canobtain abundance of moisture. No tree, he continues, is, perhaps, equallywell adapted for upholding the banks of rivers, from the great multiplicity ofits roots. Evelyn is of the same opinion; and he, and all authors, agree thatit will not even live in dry chalky soil.
Propagation and Culture. Evelyn says that the alder is propagated bytruncheons of the stem or of the root, “ set as big as the small of one’s leg, andin length about 2 ft.one end of which should be plunged in the mud. “ Ifwe plant smaller sets,” he says, “ let them be cut at a proper season, and whenthe wood is of competent bigness, and mature.” The Jersey manner of plant-ing truncheons, he adds, is by forming them into lengths of 2 ft. or 3 ft. each,at the beginning of winter; binding them in faggots, and placing the ends of themin water, till towards the end of spring. By that season, they will have con-tracted a callosity at their lower extremity; and, “ being planted, will, like Gen-netmoil apple trees, never fail of growing, and striking root.” Boutcher saysthe alder may be propagated by cuttings of three, four, or five years’ growth,planted in February or March. The Continental authors mention suckers,