132 THE GARDENER. [March 



many of these instances, it would positively be cheaper for the tenant 

 to make the garden at his own expense, than to have it done in this 

 rough-and-ready way for him. I shall not go further into this matter 

 here than to say, that if gardening is to be carried on with any degree 

 of pleasure, drainage, if in a damp or low-lying locality, must be secured, 

 and a friable and suitable soil procured. Should this be of a cold 

 retentive nature, as it is in some cases, add plenty of coarse river sand, 

 fresh turfy soil, bunit earth, leaf-soil, and similar ingredients. I have 

 found decayed Hops a valuable material for this purpose, and have 

 recently restored a worn-out town garden by adding plenty of these, 

 coarse river sand, and a little fresh earth. Fresh Hops from the 

 brewery can be procured at a very small cost, and, when Chrysanthemums 

 and other things are grown in pots, form a good plunging material for 

 them, or they can be used for mulching beds during the summer, and 

 digging or forking them in winter. 



Another point which often puzzles amateurs in stocking a villa gar- 

 den with trees and shrubs, is, "what are the most suitable to plant 1 " 

 I have repeatedly seen the most unsuitable plants, such as Hybrid 

 Rhododendrons, choice Coniferae, Sweet Bays, Laurustinus, Arbutus, 

 &c, planted in the gardens of large manufacturing towns, where smoke 

 rendered gardening an unsatisfactory pursuit. These were often ob- 

 tained from warmer districts and more genial soils, and the failure 

 consequently rendered more probable. It will be as well to say here, 

 that it is wise to get your trees and shrubs from a locality where the 

 situation and soil are similar to those in which they are to be planted. 

 Trees and shrubs removed from the south and midland districts of 

 England do not generally do so well when planted in many districts 

 of the north, especially near smoky towns, as those procured from the 

 neighbourhood. I purpose, as I go along, giving lists of a few suitable 

 things for smaller gardens ; and as this is the season for planting trees 

 and shrubs, I will give a list of a few which may be safely selected 

 from. 



CONIFERS. 



Abies Canadensis (the Hemlock Spruce), a very graceful-growing plant, but re- 

 quires a dry sheltered situation. 



Abies Donglasii. 



Biota (or Thuja) orientalis (the Chinese Arborvitse), a close-growing pyramidal 

 shrub, but trains best in a sheltered situation. 



Cedrus Atlantica (the Cedar of Lebanon of Mount Atlas), a handsome tree for a 

 lawn when there is plenty of room. 



Cedrus Deodara. * 



Cupressus Lawsoniana. Several pretty forms of this most valuable plant can be 

 selected in any nursery ; and it thrives in almost any situation, even in the 

 smoke of large towns. 



Cupressus Nutkaensis — or, to use its more generally known name, Thujopsis bore- 



