190 THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



is often better to strip the roots entirely, and in planting to till them in 

 with rather dry, crumbly stuff', which will run in among the fibres; or, 

 better still, use sweet gritty leaf-mould. Take an example : some years 

 since Ave had to plant a lot of Cedrus deodara, and as they came from the 

 nursery with good balls of peat, so they were committed to their places, 

 well trodden in and liberally watered the whole of the following season. 

 They did badly, the points of the shoots turning brown here and there. 

 One was lifted, to see what might be amiss. The original ball was as dry 

 as gunpowder, the roots in the ball were as dead as the megatherium, and 

 the plant had begun to push out new roots above the ball into the yellow 

 loam in which they were planted. Forthwith they were all taken up, 

 and all found in the same state. The dead roots were cut away, the 

 worn-out peat — now become sour — was removed, and they were planted 

 in the loam again, and left to shift for themselves, with their newly- 

 formed surface roots. They made a start at once, have never since exhi- 

 bited any sign of distress, but have made magnificent growth. Had they 

 been left to form their roots over the old balls, the probability is that the 

 dead roots would have become infested with underground fungus, which 

 would have crept upwards to the new roots, spread over them, and killed 

 the trees. Then, perhaps, the nurseryman and not the planter would have 

 been blamed, for the nurseryman has to answer for nearly all the sins of 

 gardeners as well as for the consequences of bad seasons, bad soils, and 

 unsuitable aspects. Hollies, Portugal laurels, common laurel, and sweet 

 bay are among the subjects that suffer severely by removal, even if moved 

 with the greatest care. At this time of year they move with the best 

 chance of success, and in such a season they ought not to lose a leaf from 

 the time of taking up till they make new growth next season ; but, of 

 course, it is as easy to kill them now as at any other time, and the killing 

 process is best pursued by keeping them out of the ground an unreasonable 

 time, planting them in undrained, water-logged, or sour pasty soils, drench- 

 ing them afterwards till the roots are soddened in a pool, and cutting them 

 abcut with a pruning knife. Some people adopt such practices, and a 

 few of the plants survive it. What a constitution such plants must have ! 



NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



Kelvkdon Horticultural Show. — The second exhibition of the Kelve- 

 don Ladies' Horticultural Society and gala day took place on the 2nd ult., 

 in the beautiful and picturesque grounds of Felix Hall Park, the seat of 

 T. P>. Western, Esq. It was in every sense an exhibition creditable to the 

 society and the district. The specimens were placed on long tables arranged 

 parallel in the usual way, the central one being the principal in height and 

 importance. On entering, the eye first rested on some choice bouquets, 

 which carried off the prize without competition. Some handsome green- 

 house plants and cut flowers were exhibited by Mr. Mallett, gardener to 

 B. E. Willis, Esq., and Mr. Carter, gardener to A. G-. Proctor, Esq., to both 

 of whom prizes were awarded. The fruits and vegetables produced by cot- 

 tagers were of the best quality, and although it was announced that the 

 disease is spreading as fast as it did in 1845, a finer show of potatoes could 

 not be exhibited ; and we heard a well-known and eminent gardener say 

 that the vegetables were fit for competition with the produce of any gentle- 

 man's garden. The currants and gooseberries were of immense size, but no 

 doubt the heavy rains have affected the flavour of them. The judges were 



