THE 



GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Vol. XIX. 



DECEMBER, 1877. 



Number 228. 



.LOWER GARDEN AND Mf LEASURE I^ROUND. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



There is not much to be done in this depart- 

 ment during December, especially in the North 



where the Winters are severe. When the 

 weather is fine, pruning of such things as require 



it may be effected. Street trees are often cut 

 back. They look badly afterwards, and are 



offensive to good taste. And yet it is often a ne- 

 cessity from our first choice. We want shade to 

 our front doors and piazzas, but we choose tall- 

 growing and fast-growing trees, and before we 

 hardly know it, all the shade is to the chimney- 



top. There is then no remedy but to cut back 

 the tree to near the main trunk, if we would 

 have the shade near the ground. Then some 

 pruning may be done in the way of thinning 

 out. Trees are generally and properly set 

 thickly at first, both for shelter to one another 

 and immediate effect. At this season some of 

 the least needed may be cut away. In some 

 wild part of the gi'ound a well constructed rock- 

 ery would not be out of place but look well, and 

 material may be gathered together for the pur- 

 pose. If there be handy men about to be kept 

 in employ, rustic baskets, vases and frames may 



