The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-02
GROWING SQUARE TREES.
This and Other Efforts at Nature FAX
ing Successful in England.

Recently the Cambridge Forestry As
sociation suggested that trees can be
made to grow square instead OF round,
and thus may be made to produce more
and better timber.
The assertion has given rise to some
amount of good-natured chaf, but some
miracles more wonderful than the grow
ing of square trees have been performed
in the plant world. The scientist waved
his wand. as it were. and produced the
seedless orange, large juicy, deuclouS
fruit free from what we call plpS.
Again he took n piece OF wood, the
stock of an ordinary wild briar, and on
il he produced a score OF varieties OF
roses, making q multi-cOlored bush with
roses large and small, red, white, Grim
son. salmon, yellow, pink, cream ana
every shade between, all on the same
bush.
Something akin to growing square
trees has been practiced for centuries,
and what may be termed plant mOnstros-
tiles are by no means uncommon.
Most of us would recognize the White
Bryony tBryonia dioical so common IN
our hedgerOws. the roots or thls plant
which often grow to colossal size
have been grown to shape, as 1T were.
Perhaps one of the most eXtraOrdlnary
experiments in the plant world has just
been successfully tried with the potato
plant. The potato belongs to the same
family as the tomato, and included in the
same family are the tobacco plant, the
mandrake and the deadly nlghtShaue
among others.
Advantage was taken of the relation
ship of the potato to the tomato actually
to grow a crop of potatoes on the roots
of a potato plant and crop Of tomatoes
on the faums (stalks and tohagel OF
the same plants. To see a crop of to
matocs among the foliage of a potato
plant while potatoes are growing on the
roots Of the same plant, is a sight more
wonderful surely than square trees.
Within a few miles of London is a
wall surrounding a churchyard. The
wall is covered with ivy. and IN one
of the bricks Is a square hole.
Many years ago q sprig of the ivy
climbed through the hole, and gradually
the hole became filled up with the wood
of the ivy, and it became absolutely
square, assuming its normal shape on
the other side of the square hole. If a
saDling was surrounded by a plaster of
paris or metal mold which was square
there is no reason why the wood of the
tree so inclosed should not become square
in fact, the wonder would be if it re
manned circular.
ANY one with a garden may produce
plant curiosities which Will be interest
ing to grow and q source of WOnderment
to all who see them. Arrange a saucer
close up to q young, healthy gooSeberry
bush. and 80 placed that the dead cor
lin of the flower 1.-THE tip at the end of
the berry opposite the stalk just touches
the water. The young goosebcrry drinks
the water grcediIy. and if it is renewed
az it is absorbed by the berry tn" goose
berry so treated assumes enormous pro
portions and specimens sas large as good
sized hens eggs may be produced.
Another interesting experiment Is tn"
growing of plants on an old sponge.
Procure an old sponge. and. after soak
ing it in water. sprinkle in the holes a
mixture of creSS, mustard. rape, wheat
and grass OF flax seed. Now suspend
this sponge in the window of the light
and warm room. Very soon the seeds
terminate and in a week or two the en-
tire sponge will be clothed with a mass
of beautiful foliage. The sponge must
be kept moist.
First soak a brick-a new one is best
in water and then cover it with fan
mel, and lay it in a dish of water near
a window Sprinkle crcss, fax or grass
seeds freely on the flannel. In this case
leave out the large seeds, such as wheat,
barley and oats. The seeds very soon
terminate and send their roots through
the flannel, and in due course the brick
is covered with vcrdure and looks very
pretty.-EX.