710 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



bottles or jars, and to store them in a cool place. So sensitive 

 are the seeds of some plants that even exposure to light ma\' 

 affect their powers of germination. It follows from what has 

 been said that a good general rule is to sow seeds the year after 

 harvesting. This rule, however, is one which admits of numerous 

 exceptions. For instance, some seeds — e.g., primulas — germinate 

 better if sown before they are fully matured than they do if sown 

 after their fruits have completely ripened. On the other hand, 

 it is an old belief that with some plants seeds of more than one 

 year old give better plants than do seeds of the previous harvest. 

 Thus a writer in the Oiwcnstand Agricultural Journal (XV, .\pril, 

 1921) cites the belief often entertained by gardeners that two- 

 year-old seeds of beet and carrot give better plants than are to be 

 obtained from fresh seed. The same writer also states that three- 

 year-old chicory and cabbage seeds should be sown, and that 

 spinach, lettuce, and radish are less apt to bolt if grown from 

 two-year-old seed. For our part we are inclined to be sceptical 

 of the correctness of these opinions, and should certainly prefer 

 to sow one-year-old, i.e., fresh harvested seed, in all these cases. 

 The practice of an earlier race of gardeners of carrying melon 

 seed for a year or so in the waistcoat pocket before sowing may, 

 however, mean that in the case of this plant old seed gives better 

 results than new. Another belief which would seem to be well 

 founded is that the proportion of doubles may be increased in the 

 cases of stocks and asters by sowing old seed. How ancient is 

 this belief is illustrated by a citation, published in the Revue Hor- 

 ticolc, from an old garden book of 1765, which runs: "Many 

 amateur and professional gardeners are certain that stock seed 

 kept for five or more years gives a larger percentage of doubles 

 than does fresher seed." — The Gardeners' C hronicle (British). 



ON TRANSPLANTING EVERGREENS. 



Where shrubberies are in danger of overcrowding, and in many 

 gardens where this is not the case, it will be under contemplation 

 to remove to more spacious or more suitable quarters evergreen 

 shrubs of some size. These will have in all probability not been 

 transplanted for a number of years. The operation is one which, 

 to command success, should be. undertaken early in September or 

 even, should we happily get good rains in the interim, at the end 

 of August. Whatever care be taken, very considerable damage 

 must ensue to the root action of such established shrubs, and the 

 success attained in transplanting — equal care in removal and re- 

 planting being supposed — will be in direct proportion to the relative 

 earliness at which it is undertaken. The only hope for such plants 

 to re-establish themselves without grave damage rests in their 

 wonderful ability to make new roots before the ground loses too 

 much of its warmth. To anyone who has not previously seen it, 

 the amount of root growth which a young Conifer will make in 

 a single week if transplanted at the season mentioned would be a 

 revelation. It behoves those who have specimen Conifers, Hollies, 

 Rhododendrons or other evergreens which they purpose moving to 

 see without delay that the sites to which they are to be removed 

 are cleared clean, that any special compost is ready, and the neces- 

 sary tackle to hand and in good working order. In the case of 

 really large specimens it is wise heavily to root-prune the trees a 

 twelve-month before the actual removal. 



The question then arises as to whether a particular tree stands 

 a good chance of surviving transplantation. It may be helpful to 

 the inexperienced to know that large Rhododendrons and other 

 American plants move readily, so as a rule do Hollies, if they have 

 been properly and regularly transplanted as nursery stock. Of 

 Conifers, Abies, Picca and Pseudotsuga usually move well. Cedars, 

 too, usually transplant successfully, but they almost invariably cast 

 their needles and to the casual eye look dead the following 

 Summer. Most varieties of Clunnceeyparis (Cufrcssus Lazcson- 

 iana) move fairly well, but the forms ereela-viridis. alba s^ica and 

 versicolor are dilticult unless they have been regularly and recently 

 transplanted. The true Cypresses (Cuprcssus), the Junipers. 

 Tsugas, Sequoias and Pines are not worth attempting if they have 

 largely increased in size since last transplanted. The Arbor-vita' 

 as a class move fairly well. Hollies, Yews, Rhododendrons and 

 Sequoias should have first attention. They will not root in soil 

 at all cold. This trying season will doubtless have made many 

 converts to Autumn, but it is to be feared that it is still not fully 

 realized what an asset the latent heat of the soil is in successful 

 transplantation. The old idea about leaving Hollies, Rhododen- 

 drons and different Conifers until May still persists. The only 

 objection to the early planting of even herbaceous plants and roses 

 lies in the damage they are likely to sustain when closely packed 

 for transit, and this will not apply where the plants are to hand. — 

 The Garden. 



Pr.\ctic.\l Tree Repair.— By Elbert Peets ; Robert M. McBride 

 and Co.. New York. — The best maintenance of trees is a matter of 

 great importance from not only the material standpoint but also 

 from the point of view of esthetics and hygiene. It is then very 

 fortunate tliat there is available a book so complete, so sane 

 and so reliably specific as is this. It is full of wisdom greater 

 than is displayed the world over, with one reported excep- 

 tion, toward physicians: in parts of China, it has been told, 

 physicians receive stipends for keeping people in good health. 

 So this book rests upon the obviously sensible assumption 

 that "tree surgery is not so important to trees as feeding, 

 watering and spraying, and that the common-sense, as well 

 as the scientific procedure, is first to make the tree vigorous 

 and then, if it needs fillin.g, to fill it." But it points out too 

 how this is not always good economy, and sometimes liot 

 nidispensable to the life and the best future growth of the trees. 

 Other treatments of cavities, which the author's wide ex- 

 perience has enabled him to handle exceedingly well, are of 

 greater importance than the mere filling of them. Emphasis 

 is placed upon what might be called the work of the "tree 

 physician," more than upon tree surgery. But the latter, 

 when really scientific and really expert, is given full recog- 

 nition and those who practice it should rejoice that there 

 is such a book as this to direct in the preliminary treatment 

 of cavities that makes their work more permanently valuable 

 and to spread the conviction that the need of their work is 

 greater than the supply of it. 



Particular notes on the various species of trees and a bib- 

 liograpliy increase the usefulness of the general treatment. 



Downixg's L.\ndsc.\pe G.\rdexixg. — John Wiley and Sons, New 

 York. — In this handsome volume are brought together the best 

 portions of Andrew Jackson Downing's works relating to 

 Landscape Gardening, by one who knew him well, as he 

 knows the art well, from the epoch-making book "Landscape 

 Gardening" and the rural essays published in Horticulture. 

 It renders, quite obviously then, a great service, particularly 

 in providing, for all students of the art, the means for a 

 proper perspective, for Downing is admittedly the founder 

 of American landscape gardening. In this respect the value 

 of the l>ook is enhanced by Mr. Waugh's calling attention to 

 the lines of direct and immediate influence radiating from 

 the .great genius, and which have persisted, but also to pres- 

 ent-day principles and practices divergent from those incul- 

 cated by the great master. But such handling is all in a 

 reverent spirit ; the main treatment makes vivid the original 

 imprints. .A.11 the way through it is clear that the true philos- 

 ophy of landscape gardening, according to Mr. Downing, is 

 to make X'ature serve man and that "the landscape should 

 be lovely, and the house graceful and beautiful, and the fruit 

 fine and the flowers perfect because these are all dpendencies 

 and ornaments of home and home is the sanctuary of the 

 highest human affections." But at the same time, it should 

 be noted, Mr. Downing was one of the first and ablest ad- 

 vocates of public parks also. 



The book is inspirational; it gives increased dignity to the 

 profession and the reading of it should enable the practitioner 

 to avoid many vagaries that he might otherwise be prone to. 



A LESSON ON VEGETATIVE PLANT REPRODUC- 

 TION 



{Continued from page 708) 



of plants which while they do not naturally propagate naturally- 

 in this way, can be increased more or less easily by this means. 

 Sometimes the shoot is partially severed, preferably just below a 

 node, before covering with earth, but it is generally sufficient to 

 make a mound of soil sufficiently high to cover the bottom of the 

 shoots four or five inches deep. In most cases a year is allowed 

 to elapse before removing the rooted shoots. 



The above is necessarily only a brief sketch of one portion of 

 vegetative propagation. Almost every species liave some special 

 points which expert propagators have discovered by long experi- 

 ence, and to deal fully with the subject would require a book of 

 some size. There is another portion of the subject worth con- 

 sidering, namely, grafting and budding, which we must leave for 

 another lesson. 



