On the top of a gate pillar in Meath, constructed of stones mortared together, there arose a stately leycesteria bush, otherwise known as the pheasant bush, for these birds are said to have a weakness for the berries. The owner didn't plant this, of course, though he has a dozen or so in his grounds. The seed must have been put there by some bird which ate the berries and, in the polite phrase, then voided the seed or seeds. The bush was allowed to grow for a couple of years, just for the hell of it, but was taken out before the pillar showed signs of disintegration.
How many plants owe their existence to birds. All this because a learned barrister writes to ask that the growing of "ordinary" plants be discussed here. For example, a friend advised him to rub whin seed that he had gathered against sandpaper until the yellow inside beneath the hard casing was visible. Our correspondent did this and within days the seedlings sprouted. He asks if he should have waited until spring, for now he has fragile seedlings to look after all winter.
What do readers think? If he keeps the young whin plants in a cool greenhouse until spring, he may be all right. Oaks have been forced in a kitchen by inverting them in Ballygowan bottles, and in spring transferred to greenhouse and then the open. Also, our correspondent asks about rose hips, haws and rowan berries. Haven't tried rose hips but it seems sensible to take them out of their tightly-packed casing. There are elaborate procedures in books about haws - keeping them in layers of sand and then in November, rubbing off the pulp that remains and planting. Some people used to wrap the haw in a straw rope, bury it an inch or so in the earth and await growth in about eighteen months. If the birds can sow so successfully by ejecting only the seed, having enjoyed the husk or pulp, why not follow them? Discard the outer cover.
This refers to the pulpy fruit only including rowans. For safety why not buy thorn quicks from a known grower? As to sloes - a dead loss says a friend. He either buys quicks or himself takes suckers. One writer tells us that even the most careful hand planting of sloes is too often useless.
As to whins, the late Dr. A. T. Lucas wrote a masterly book Furze, published by the Stationery Office for the Museum. Whins long ago were the hedging plant and the seed was sold in shops. A talented tree-grower and gardener says he plants his oak or beech seed in a pot and leaves it out in the open until it sprouts in the spring.