THE 



Gardeners' Monthly 



AND 



HORTICULTURIST. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE, ARBORICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS. 



Edited by THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Volume XXVII. 



AUGUST, 1885. 



Number 320. 



Flower Garden and Flrasjire Ground. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



The excessive droutii which has prevailed in 

 many parts of the country, has not been without 

 its lessons to the horticulturist. In Germantown 

 where from three to five inches of rain is the 

 record for June, the fall this season has been but 

 .99 of one inch, and up to the time of writing this, 

 early in July, there has not been a drop to add to 

 it. Though there have been local rains in many 

 places, the showers have generally missed, and 

 hundreds of spring planted things have passed 

 away. Shall this be an argument for fall planting ? 

 Yes, and no. Yes, if we are willing to believe 

 that fall is at least as good as spring ; no, if we 

 ever expect to get complete immunity from all 

 loss in planting trees. It must be remembered 

 that trees die after transplanting, from lack of 

 moisture. They dry out. Trees die in winter and 

 in summer that have not been transplanted, just 

 the same as if they had been, if- the moisture does 

 not get into the branches as fast as it dries out. 

 A transplanted tree has a worse chance in this 

 respect than one not transplanted. First, because 

 it has lost some of its roots; secondly, because the 

 earth does not set as tightly against the roots as 

 before ; for, no matter how well a tree may be 

 transplanted some of the roots will not be in close 

 contact with the earth, and then it may as well 

 not have that much root, for the root must be in 



close contact with the earth before it can get any 

 moisture from it. It is for this reason that very 

 often a tree with "splendid" roots, and "well 

 planted " will die before one that has poor roots ; 

 the very thick mass preventing the earth from 

 getting close in around each one. A fall planted 

 tree has this great advantage, that the heavy fall 

 rains have a tendency to carry the earth in and 

 around the roots, while the low temperature fol- 

 lowing is unfavorable to any excessive evaporation 

 from the branches. The only enemy to be feared 

 is excessively cold and drying winds. 



In spring planting we not only have the difficulty 

 of packing the earth well in among the roots, but 

 have the possibility of heat and drouth im- 

 mediately following. Aside from these theoretical 

 reasonings, the experience of the last few seasons 

 has been very favorable to the success of fall 

 planting. As early as it can be done in the fall 

 the better. Another lesson relates to watering in 

 a dry time; water will not supply the place of 

 shoitened roots, or of soil ill packed in, but it is 

 some good to the roots that can reach the earth. 

 But the chief trouble is that people seldom com- 

 mence to water till the tree is in a dying condition, 

 and when it is too late to be of any service. The 

 intelligent gardener waters before the plant needs 

 it badly, and this is one of the gardener's arts that 

 a stupid fellow can never learn, and which after 

 all can only be well taught by experience. And 



