168 THE GARDENER. [April 



must be covered • and this is even more necessary under the present 

 condition of most shrubs. Eresh soil for planting all sorts of trees 

 and shrubs, as well as fruit-trees, should be of the simplest kind. 

 Plain maiden earth of a loose friable nature is much the best. Com- 

 posts of all sorts should be avoided in the planting of trees, especially 

 mixtures with leaf-mould and vegetable remains, however much the 

 temptation may be to its use from convenience or availability. The 

 compost heap has long been a favourite institution, and it has had 

 its day : it is still useful as a material for top-dressing, but as an 

 appliance immediately to the roots of trees composts are positively 

 dangerous. Deep planting must also be avoided : it kills many a 

 tree but stunts many more. Many skin-bound stunted trees planted 

 on good sites, and with an abundance of kindness, remain a puzzle 

 to the owner why they should refuse to grow, when failure is entirely 

 due to deep planting. An old practitioner and friend used to say, 

 Give them a good hold of the soil — it steadies them ; and he go^s on 

 to this day steadying them, and the growth in his plantations is 

 steady also. Deep planting saves labour in stakes ; and this appears 

 to be a consideration with many. When a good deep hole is made, and 

 the ball of the tree or shrub, or the roots without the ball, is lowered 

 some 6 inches below the surface, and the soil filled in and heaped 

 round, and finally trodden, our tree is in an excellent condition to 

 resist the loosening effect of the wind ; but here the benefit ends. 

 R >ots, like many more living organisms, have a dislike of being buried 

 alive. The question of staking is itself an important one, notwith- 

 standing its apparent simplicity. Tall plants often get literally sawn 

 through by the cord which ties them, or by chafing against the top 

 of the stake. A favourite plan, and one which has the advantage of 

 sightliness and cheapness, is to drive three pegs of any rough timber 

 into the soil, at more or less distance from the root of the tree 

 according to size, and from a band of straw or hay round the tree, at 

 a convenient height, tie three pieces of tar cord to the pegs. The 

 cord is cheaper than single stakes, and much more effective. 



The Squire's Gardener. 



MARIGOLDS. 



One would fancy that of such old-fashioned common flowers as the 

 Trench and African Marigolds there would be very little to say. 

 1ST »r is there much. Only, as the scope of ' The Gardener ' is not 

 restricted with regard to the subjects discussed, and as I know that 

 a good strain of these well grown commands a good deal of attention 



