322 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[November, 



soil, or in any aspect, if the soil be made deep 

 so that the water will go down easily below the 

 roots, and then easily drain awaj-. To this end, 

 if the soil be thrown out two feet deep, and a 

 foot deep of brush wood placed at the bottom 

 of the trench before the soil is thrown in again, 

 • it will make a cheap under-drain, which will 

 encourage the water to go down through the 

 upper surface easily. Peat is often used for 

 Rhododendrons, but chiefly because it is cool 

 and moist, while still admitting of the free pas- 

 sage of air. 



The winter time is a good one to look after the 

 destruction of the eggs and chrysalides of in- 

 sects. In cities, especially the w^alls, fences and 

 rough bark of trees afford shelter to them, and 

 they can be easily hunted out. As before noted 

 the bag-worm or drop-worm has been particu- 

 larly destructive the past season, and especially 

 to arborvitaes and coniferous trees generally. 

 The oval "bags," more than an inch in length, 

 are readily seen and easily collected and de- 

 stroyed. On opening some of these bags with a 



tion of a series of exchanges with others, which 

 would soon swell a little collection to one of the 

 best. 



In the culture of herbaceous plants it is well 

 to remember that generally a part dies every 

 year. They seldom come up in exactly the 

 same place every year, but a bud or runner 

 pushes out and the old part dies. Though all 

 herbaceous plants move in some such manner, 

 they do not all go directly underground, but 

 make bunchy stocks just above ground. In 

 their native places of growth they manage to 

 get covered with decaying leaves from the woods 

 or shifting sands on the plains, but in cultiva- 

 tion nothing of this kind can be naturally ac- 

 complished, and unless art comes to aid the 

 plant they soon die away. An Auricula, a 

 Primrose, or a Carnation is good illustration of 

 this. In the two former a new crown is formed 

 on the top of the old one. and as the lower parts 

 in time die away, unless new earth is drawn up, 

 success with such flowers will not be great. The 

 best plan is to take up and replant every few 



sharp pointed scissors, only some of them will years, or cover the running parts above ground 

 be found with eggs. Those without the eggs with earth, so that they may have a chance to 

 produce the male moth, which leaves its bag- get new roots from the advancing stocks. This 

 like house in the spring. The female moth is noticed here at this season to show that earth 

 never leaves its house from the time it makes it is the natural covering for herbaceous plants ; 

 to the time it dies and leaves its eggs behind. It j and therefore one of the surest ways of preserv- 

 is an anomaly amongst insects, and originated I ing them safe through winter is to draw earth 

 the saying about it, that "its cradle is its grave." i over them. In the spring they can be unearthed 

 This is a much better season than spring to i and then divided and set a trifle deeper than 



transplant herbaceous plants. They make their 

 growth now, and the flowers for spring are often 

 formed in the hearts of the buds, just as we can 

 see flowers are formed in the hearts of lily, 

 hyacinth and other bulbs, or as we may see in 

 the large buds of the horse chestnut. The only 

 objection to setting out these little things in the 

 fall is, that they may draw out by frost; but the 

 good cultivator knows how to guard against this 

 by drawing over more earth than is needed, or 

 covering the whole plantation with some mate- 

 rial which prevents thawing out rapidly, which 

 is really the cause of plants being drawn out by 

 frost. 



Another matter of interest in regard to col- 

 lecting hardy herbaceous plants is, that there 

 are a large number of rare native plants not yet 

 in cultivation, which many an owner of a first- 

 class collection would give a good deal to pos- 

 sess. A collection from one's own neighborhood 

 would therefore often be really one of the most 

 valuable one could possess, and be the founda- 



before, which is all they want. We are often 

 asked how to preserve Carnations, Chrysanthe- 

 mums, Pansies, Phloxes, Hollyhocks and so 

 forth, safe till spring. The principles here laid 

 down will explain the practice. 



Seeds of many herbaceous plants sown in the 

 fall or early spring will flower the same season 

 just as an annual will. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



CLOSE TRIMMED TREES. 



BY M. DIGRAM. 



Clipped and pollarded trees are an oSence 

 where the object aimed at is the realization of 

 supposed more attractive forma; yet where the 

 trimming is necessary, where there is a certain 

 useful end in view, it may very properly be done 

 without harming the trained eye. 



Margining the pavements of some Dutch 

 towns, there may be seen rows of trees, the 



