THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[April, 



up in the main of trees and shrubs, lawn and 

 flower beds. Of tree-planting we have said so 

 much in the past that even the "line upon line, 

 precept on precept," for the necessity of which 

 there has been so many sermons preached, 

 seems stale doctrine. It may, however, be as 



for watering this way cools the soil, ultimately 

 hardens it, and in other respects works to the 

 injury of the transplanted tree. 



In your flower-beds, if the plants sickened last 

 year, change the soil. Renovated earth is 

 renewed health to consumptive flowers. Sow 



early sowing and deep covering rots seeds very 

 often. This is frequently the cause of one's 

 seeds being "bad." Prepare flowers in their 

 winter quarters for the summer campaign, by 

 gradually inuring them to the air before setting 

 out finally. Set out when all danger of frost is 

 over. Don't set out a plant with a dry ball ; but 

 water well while in the pot an hour or so before^ 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



well to say that to prune out the weak shoots, I Annuals as soon as the ground is warm. Too 

 leave the strong ones, and press the earth about 

 the roots as firmly as it is possible to press it, are 

 among the secrets of successful planting. 



Not to let the roots dry for an instant between 

 taking up and planting, everybody knows, but 

 everybody don't do it; in fact, everybody de- 

 ceives himself. We have seen this distinguished 

 individual leave the tops of trees exposed to the 

 sun, with a mat or straw thrown over the roots ; 

 and think all was right,— or heel in for a day or 

 two, by just throwing a little dirt over the roots. 

 This is a little good; but everybody's fault is, 

 that although this may be ten minutes of good, 

 he expects to get ten hours, or even ten days' 

 value out of it, and thus he suffers more than if 

 he had done nothing, because he forgets that the 

 branches evaporate moisture from the roots in a 

 dry wind, and the juices go from the roots 

 through the branches, very nearly as well as 

 directly to the air from the roots themselves. 

 So with heeling in . The soil is thrown in lightly, 

 or, at most, just "kicked" down. "It is only 

 temporary," very few of the roots come in con- 

 tact with the soil. They can draw in no mois- 

 ture to supply the waste of evaporation, and 



PUBLIC SQUARES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



BY WALTER ELDER. 



The sketches of public gardens and private 

 grounds which, from time to time, appear in the 

 Gardener's Monthly, are, I am sure, read with 

 pleasure by thousands. It is worthy of the cos- 

 mopolitan character of the magazine, that we 

 thus get information of what is going on to the 

 uttermost ends of the earth. It will do no harm 

 to consider now a little of what is going on near 

 the home of the Gardener's Monthly, in the 

 public squares of Philadelphia. As often noted. 



they are a disgrace to modern civilization.. Even 

 thus they stay day after day, — everybody satisfied j people without a particle of taste have become 

 because he sees the roots covered, — really ^orse i ashamed of them ; and the pressure from this 

 than if they had been exposed. We have no 1 source has resulted in at least a mechanical im- 



doubt that more trees are lost from imperfect 

 heeling in than from any other cause whatever. 

 Of course, if the tops be covered as well as the 

 roots, there is less waste of moisture and more 

 chance of success. 



provement in Independence Square, and the 

 commencement of a similar attempt for Wash- 

 ington Square. Even here, no attempt whatever 

 is done in the way of gardening taste. Trees are 

 left which would be better away ; others are 



Place broad-leaved evergreens where they will j taken away which might as well remain. They 

 get no sun in winter, yet away from where the j are pruned with a vengeance ; or, that which 

 roots of trees will make the ground dry in sum- j should be thinned out left to offend. Insects, 

 mer. Deep soil, but shallow planting, is all im- i which any person of intelligence could control, 

 portant for them. In transplanting, take care '\ are left to destroy the most valuable material, 

 of the roots. Good roots are of more importance i and things are planted so that they cannot live, 

 than good " balls." Balls of earth are useful in i or in places where they could not live even 

 keeping fibres moist ; but don't sacrifice the best j though the editor of the Gardener's Monthly 

 fibres five or six feet from the tree for the few | planted them. There is no question but though 

 fibres in the ball at the base. When roots are j special pains were taken to select from the million 

 rather dry, after filling a portion of soil, pour in ! the most unfitted to improve or look after our city 

 water freely. After all has settled away, fill in | squares, the city money could not be more ig- 

 lightly the balance of the soil, and let it rest for j norantly or more wastefully squandered. Why 

 a few days. This is as a remedy, not as a rule; ' is it that so intelligent an art as gardening should 



