STRAY NOTES ON HORTICULTURE. 



399 



dcv occupying the topmost part. As a general 

 rule, every pot should have near one-fourth 

 of its depth occupied by this material. 



Drying Plants. — Plants may be dried in 

 such a manner as to be extremely beauti- 

 ful, retaining the whole of the volatile oil 

 and aroma, and their true colours. To ef- 

 fect this, they must be dried in a dark and 

 close room, and not, as is usually the case, 

 by exposure to a current of air and the ac- 

 tion of light. When the separation of the 

 aqueous particles is effected by their evapo- 

 ration, and they are tolerably dry, they are 

 to be submitted to pressure in small quan- 

 tities, enveloped in a slightly absorbent 

 paper, until the oil appears on the surface, 

 and which is known by its discoloration ; 

 by this, all change of colour by the action 

 of the light, or further loss of volatile mat- 

 ters by evaporation, is prevented. In pot 

 herbs, as well as medicinal plants, this will 

 be found a very decided improvement. 



Small or Large Gardens. — It is a prevail- 

 ing and most erroneous opinion, that the 

 enjoyments derivable from a garden are 

 just in proportion to its magnitude. So far 

 from this being the case, it may be said to 

 be a fact, that it would confer a most es- 

 sential service to the science of gardening, 

 either to lessen by one-half almost every 

 ornamental garden, or allow double the 

 amount of labor to that usually bestowed 

 upon them. In ninety-nine gardens in 

 every hundred, it will be found that their 

 extent is such, compared with the labor 

 allowed for keeping, that the time and at- 

 tention required for the nicer operations of 

 the art are almost, if not wholly, absorbed 

 in the manual labor, demanded in keeping 

 in repair the beds, grass walks, &c. This 

 ought not to be. The pleasures and enjoy- 

 ments of a garden by no means depend on its 

 extent, but on its high state of culture and 

 keeping. 



To Preserve Flowers Fresh. — When cut 

 flowers are withering, plunge about one- 

 third of the stem in boiling water ; by the 

 time the Mater is cold, they will revive. 

 Then cut off the ends, and put them in cold 

 water with a little nitre, when they will 

 keep for several days. 



Ants. — To drive away ants, use sulphur 

 steeped in water; if in the gravel walks, 

 strew the gravel with salt, and then water 

 it; this will apply also to worms. Boiling 

 water is also efficacious ; but drowning 

 them out with cold water useless. 



Gray Squirrels. — The public squares of 

 Philadelphia were enlivened all last sum- 

 mer and fall, by numerous gray squirrels 

 that had been let out partially tamed ; and 

 it was a beautiful incident, that though 

 they fed out of the hands of visitors, not 

 one was injured or captured. This proves 

 that reasonable enjoyments, that are within 

 the reach of all, will not necessarily be 

 abused if liberally provided. 



Feeding Trees. — In the Horticulturist, 

 vol. 2, for July, 1847, page 28, I described 

 a process of " feeding trees," as I saw it 

 done at Dropmore, the famous arboretum of 

 Lady Grenville, not far from Windsor. 

 The gardener opened trenches, radiating 

 from the trunk of the tree like the spokes 

 of a wheel, to a distance thirty or forty 

 feet in every direction. Each trench met a 

 young root which was led into it, and was 

 quickly cleared of the common soil, and 

 filled with a rich compost of loam and ma- 

 nure. It was owing to this treatment that 

 the trees at Dropmore had attained the ex- 

 traordinary growth which made them the 

 admiration of every tree fancier, fortunate 

 enough to see them. That this process is 

 an admirable one, let any one convince 

 himself by experiment. How grateful 

 would be the old apple and pear trees, 

 which have ceased to bear fruit, if they 



