NOTES TO PART III.25. If the heat and evaporation of a gardener’s pocket for several days be sufficient to render the seeds of melons and gourds productive of plants of earlier maturity, that is less disposed to extension and more to reproduction,—what may be expected from kiln-drying fir-cones?26. The full ripening of the seeds of some cultivated varieties of vegetables, and also the drying of the seeds severely without artificial heat, are found to have considerable influence upon the germination of the seeds, and even some impression upon the character of the resulting plant.27. Covered drains are not adapted for woods, as the matted fibres of the roots, especially of the semi-aquatic trees, very soon enter them and form obstructions.28. Laburnum (Cytisus) is the most valuable timber this country produces. It is equally deep in colour, and takes as fine a polish as rose-wood, having also something slightly pellucid in the polished surface. From its extreme hardness, it is much better adapted for use than mahogany, not being indented or injured by blows or rough treatment. We are acquainted with no other timber of home produce so little liable to decay. The large-leaved variety in rich warm soils acquires a diameter of a foot or a foot and a-half, and grows rapidly till it fall into seed-bearing. Its usual very stunted growth is partly owing to less valuable faster growing trees overtopping it: Were it planted alone, and trained to proper curve, it might be profitably reared for the upper timbers (the part where decay commences) of small vessels: it has the thinnest covering of sap wood of any of our timber trees. The extreme beauty and richness of its clustered depending blossoms is a considerable injury to its growth, as it is often broken and despoiled of the branches on this account. The small-leaved Laburnum, though producing the most beautiful timber, is of such puny growth as not to rank as a forest tree. There is a peculiarity, at least seldom occurring in other trees, attending the growth of the small-leaved variety: a branch frequently gives up feeding the connected trunk and roots, drawing supply of nourishment from these upward, without returning much or any of the digested matter downward. This branch above the place of the stagnation of the bark vessels becomes enlarged, running into numerous shoots, which are generally unnaturally thick and unhealthy, approaching to dropsical—often, however, beautifully pendant down to the ground, from their weight and the smallness of the supporting branch. We do not know whether this is an awkward effort towards increase—that these branches, under the influence of a not entirely matured instinct or faculty, droop in search of earth to root, and extend by layers, in conformity to a habit of some tribes of trees, in which this mode of increase is efficient, or that it is a disease unconnected with design or final cause. These overgrown branches of the small-leaved laburnum are generally thrown out by trees, which, owing to circumstances, are little disposed to seeding.29. Let us compare the wealth of the British landholder with that of the like grade on the Continent. It is the unrivalled skill and industry of our manufacturers and traders which have laid every shore under contribution for the immense riches which has poured in upon our landholders, and which, from juxtaposition, will continue to do so, in a certain degree, under the fullest freedom of trade. It is now absurd to talk of duties on foreign products, to counterbalance home taxation—taxation now bears lightly on home agricultural production, more so than in many parts of the Continent, and our manufacturers, under the same or greater taxation, compete with and outstrip all the world in cheapness of production.30. The dread of change in Catholic countries—the proscription of almost every new work treating of science—the complete submission of the mind to the religious authorities, bearded men “becoming little children” even to the letter—the consequent general abandonment to sensual enjoyment—the immense number of holidays—and the shoals of meddling priests, are a great bar to improvement—an insurmountable one to manufacturing pre-eminence. We need not say that all this is subordinate to climate. Effect, however, soon turns to cause.31. Our industrious operatives, rendered trebly more productive by recent machinery improvements, fabricate three times more commodity than our landed and other population can with their present habits consume. Few other nations can give else but food in exchange for this overplus; our landholders have enacted laws to exclude food, and our operatives are being starved down to the requisite number for home supply.32. The same polity under which Britain has acquired supremacy, will not now serve to continue it. A knowledge of the interests of nations is abroad, and if we will not suffer our country to be the emporium of the world, another will.33. See App. E.34. The price of any article raised at home, when any part requires to be imported, of course rises to the whole cost (prime cost, duty and freight) of the foreign.35. The chance of loss by wreck, damage from sea-water, and pilfering, being much less in British than in foreign bottoms, enables the British to obtain a higher freight than the foreign.
25. If the heat and evaporation of a gardener’s pocket for several days be sufficient to render the seeds of melons and gourds productive of plants of earlier maturity, that is less disposed to extension and more to reproduction,—what may be expected from kiln-drying fir-cones?
26. The full ripening of the seeds of some cultivated varieties of vegetables, and also the drying of the seeds severely without artificial heat, are found to have considerable influence upon the germination of the seeds, and even some impression upon the character of the resulting plant.
27. Covered drains are not adapted for woods, as the matted fibres of the roots, especially of the semi-aquatic trees, very soon enter them and form obstructions.
28. Laburnum (Cytisus) is the most valuable timber this country produces. It is equally deep in colour, and takes as fine a polish as rose-wood, having also something slightly pellucid in the polished surface. From its extreme hardness, it is much better adapted for use than mahogany, not being indented or injured by blows or rough treatment. We are acquainted with no other timber of home produce so little liable to decay. The large-leaved variety in rich warm soils acquires a diameter of a foot or a foot and a-half, and grows rapidly till it fall into seed-bearing. Its usual very stunted growth is partly owing to less valuable faster growing trees overtopping it: Were it planted alone, and trained to proper curve, it might be profitably reared for the upper timbers (the part where decay commences) of small vessels: it has the thinnest covering of sap wood of any of our timber trees. The extreme beauty and richness of its clustered depending blossoms is a considerable injury to its growth, as it is often broken and despoiled of the branches on this account. The small-leaved Laburnum, though producing the most beautiful timber, is of such puny growth as not to rank as a forest tree. There is a peculiarity, at least seldom occurring in other trees, attending the growth of the small-leaved variety: a branch frequently gives up feeding the connected trunk and roots, drawing supply of nourishment from these upward, without returning much or any of the digested matter downward. This branch above the place of the stagnation of the bark vessels becomes enlarged, running into numerous shoots, which are generally unnaturally thick and unhealthy, approaching to dropsical—often, however, beautifully pendant down to the ground, from their weight and the smallness of the supporting branch. We do not know whether this is an awkward effort towards increase—that these branches, under the influence of a not entirely matured instinct or faculty, droop in search of earth to root, and extend by layers, in conformity to a habit of some tribes of trees, in which this mode of increase is efficient, or that it is a disease unconnected with design or final cause. These overgrown branches of the small-leaved laburnum are generally thrown out by trees, which, owing to circumstances, are little disposed to seeding.
29. Let us compare the wealth of the British landholder with that of the like grade on the Continent. It is the unrivalled skill and industry of our manufacturers and traders which have laid every shore under contribution for the immense riches which has poured in upon our landholders, and which, from juxtaposition, will continue to do so, in a certain degree, under the fullest freedom of trade. It is now absurd to talk of duties on foreign products, to counterbalance home taxation—taxation now bears lightly on home agricultural production, more so than in many parts of the Continent, and our manufacturers, under the same or greater taxation, compete with and outstrip all the world in cheapness of production.
30. The dread of change in Catholic countries—the proscription of almost every new work treating of science—the complete submission of the mind to the religious authorities, bearded men “becoming little children” even to the letter—the consequent general abandonment to sensual enjoyment—the immense number of holidays—and the shoals of meddling priests, are a great bar to improvement—an insurmountable one to manufacturing pre-eminence. We need not say that all this is subordinate to climate. Effect, however, soon turns to cause.
31. Our industrious operatives, rendered trebly more productive by recent machinery improvements, fabricate three times more commodity than our landed and other population can with their present habits consume. Few other nations can give else but food in exchange for this overplus; our landholders have enacted laws to exclude food, and our operatives are being starved down to the requisite number for home supply.
32. The same polity under which Britain has acquired supremacy, will not now serve to continue it. A knowledge of the interests of nations is abroad, and if we will not suffer our country to be the emporium of the world, another will.
33. See App. E.
34. The price of any article raised at home, when any part requires to be imported, of course rises to the whole cost (prime cost, duty and freight) of the foreign.
35. The chance of loss by wreck, damage from sea-water, and pilfering, being much less in British than in foreign bottoms, enables the British to obtain a higher freight than the foreign.