Jannary 25, 1877. ] 



JOURNAIi OF HORTICULTURE ANti COTTAGE GARDENER. 



attention to the display which these have made in places where 

 the spirited liberality of those who planted them extensively in 

 time long since gone by. Foremost amongst such places is 

 Cobham Eall in Kent, where a former Lord Darnley planted 

 them on a hill intersected by walks or drives with overhanging 

 Birch trees. Now these Rhododendrons have self-sown them- 

 selves all over the ground, that they form the principal crop, 

 and flower in the greatest profusion at the proper time. 

 Equally abundant, or perhaps more so, are they to be met with 

 at Heron Court in Hampshire, the seat of Lord Malmesbury, 

 where they are found growing by hundreds in the woods, and 

 in some cases hanging over into the public roads, offering their 

 tempting trusses of bloom to every passer-by. There is a little 

 difference, I believe, in the appearance of the soil at the latter 

 place to that of Cobham, but both contain all that is essential 

 to the well-being of this plant, and to those who have seen it 

 growing in profusion at places like those referred to, cannot 

 fail to be highly pleased with it. To the sportsman it is also, 

 perhaps, one of the most agreeable of all covers for game, and 

 is more pleasant to pass through than Bramble or Gorse, or 

 the mixed Beech coppices of ordinary undergrowth. It is on 

 this account alone that the Rhododendron has been extensively 

 planted of late years ; and to all who have a wood occupying a 

 dry elevated site, and a soil that seems at all adapted for it, I 

 would advise a trial of these evergreens to be made — say a few 

 groups of a few plants together first and wait a year or two, 

 and if they succeed then more extensive planting can be 

 carried out. Furthermore, I would advise tnose who do not 

 wish at once to embark in a costly plantation, to look round 

 and see if a suitable site for a piece of nursery ground can be 

 had not too far from where the ultimate plantation is to be, 

 and if it is in a wood to trench and prepare it, and after ob- 

 taining a few thousands of young seedling plants from some 

 nurserymen who supply such at a very low rate, to plant tbem 

 ont in this nursery for two or three years, when they will take- 

 up with balls as large as yon like, and can be easily removed 

 to their final quarters and planted, and being to a certain 

 extent acclimatised to the eoU, and they will do better than 

 those imported from a distance of the same size. To do all 

 this requires an exercise of that forethought to which this 

 chapter is mainly directed. I ought not to leave the subject 

 of the Rhododendron nursery without remarking, that if it be 

 situated in some wood or other place where rabbits abound in 

 great numbers, it ought to have a rabbit-proof fence around it, 

 otherwise it will be found that these vermin will destroy a 

 great number of the plants. 



It will easily be seen that many other shrubs may be pro- 

 pagated or reared as well as the Rhododendron where planting 

 is contemplated. The berries of the Aucuba may be sown 

 and young plants raised, a due proportion of which will pro- 

 bably be males, and when planted along with the other kind 

 a bountiful crop of berries will be produced without any arti- 

 ficial help whatever ; and it is possible hereafter, when the 

 plants become more numerous and are planted extensively in 

 places where they thrive, that they may eventually sow and 

 propagate themselves in the same manner as the Holly and 

 Rhododendron does. A suitable site and soil will no doubt 

 enable many other shrubs to fix themselves to the neighbour- 

 hood. For instance. Privet multiplies itself in a general way 

 to any extent, and in some places Spurge Laurel (Daphne 

 lanreola) does so too, while more often the Butcher's Broom is 

 fonnd growing wild in great abundance. Less plentifully is also 

 the Juniper and Box, and in a few localities the stately and 

 dignified Yew is similarly met with ; but as all these are British 

 plants they may very properly be expected to flourish. There 

 seems no reason why many other hardy shrubs should not 

 assimilate themselves to the position in this country re- 

 semblinK those from whence they came, that future generations 

 may possibly look on many of them in the same light we look 

 on the Rhododendron, as useful accessions to our woodland 

 scenery, and reflecting great credit on those who first placed 

 them where they all that time appear to so much advantage. 



Having diverged on the culture of the Rhododepdron, I 

 must leave the further consideration of thejjubject of looking 

 forward to the wants of a future time until another occasion, 

 unless someone else supplement what has been already said 

 by pointing out new directions in which forethought ought to 

 bo directed, as the matter is one on which a good deal may be 

 eaid, and it is also one to which we cannot too forcibly call 

 the attention of all concerned. By a judicious timing of 

 things in general present work need not be neglected, the great 

 secret being to do everything at the most expedient time, 



the study of which alone forms one of the features of that 

 prudent forethought which it is so desirable to direct and 

 encourage. — J. Robson. 



CULTIVATION OF THE EASPBERRT. 



The Raspberry is not bo much valued for dessert as sonje 

 other fruits, but for preserving, and especially for making 

 vinegar, it is greatly esteemed. Amateurs with small gardens 

 generally grow a few rows of canes, and in large gardens ex- 

 tensive quarters or plots of ground are devoted to Raspberry 

 culture. In many parts of England and Scotland it grows 

 wild in the woods in large quantities. The fruit on these, how- 

 ever, is not so fine as when the plants are properly cultivated, 

 and any attention they receive in this way is always amply 

 compensated for by the extra size and abundance of the fruit. 



Young plants are sometimes raised from seed, which is sown 

 in well-prepared soil about this time ; but this mode of increase 

 has so little to recommend it that I will make no further re- 

 mark concerning it, but pass on to say that the best way of 

 propagating the Raspberry, and that generally adopted, is by 

 suckers or offsets. These may be taken at any time during 

 the period the leaves are off the canes. In severing them a 

 spade should be used to cut the roots clean away from the old 

 plants, and in doing this care must be taken not to injure the 

 roots of the latter. Old plantations generally throw out suckers 

 some feet from the base of the canes or roots which were 

 originally planted, so that from such plenty of suckers can 

 always be had without much danger of doing damage in any 

 form. Perhaps I shall be better understood in the following 

 way : Supposing a few rows, or any extent, of canes to have 

 been planted six or more years ago, the roots by this time will 

 be very large, with many ends of old canes projecting above 

 the soil. The young canes, especially if the plants have been 

 the least neglected, will not be so strong as they were for a 

 few years after they were planted. This indicates a decline in 

 the plant, and when this takes place it is always much better 

 to make a fresh plantation than spend time in trying to up- 

 hold the vigour of the old plants. But the old plants should 

 not be discarded until others have been provided to take their 

 place, and to do this the suckers must be taken oS at least one 

 year before the old plants are thrown away. 



Plants in a degenerated state at present should have every 

 sucker taken from them at once ; but previous to doing this 

 dig and abundantly manure a piece of ground, and the suckers 

 must be planted in this in rows about 18 inches apart. Here 

 during the summer they will make strong canes, and what 

 is of more importance at this time, a mass of strong roots. 

 Early in autumn the strongest piec3 of ground in the garden 

 should be cleared of its occupants, a quantity of manure 

 spread on it, and then be trenched and mixed to the depth of 

 2i feet. Planting may then be proceeded with, the young canes 

 being taken from where they have been growing throughout 

 the summer, and planted 5 feet between the rows and 1 foot 

 between the plants. If planted in this form they have to be 

 trained to a trellis. This is made by placing strong upright 

 supports 8 or 10 feet apart, and nailing two or three narrow 

 strips of wood to them, to which the canes must be tied. 

 This support should be 4 feet high. In the place of the narrow 

 strips wires may be fixed, and when this is done there must 

 be a strong support at each end of the row to keep the wires 

 tight. Another plan is to plant a root every 2 or 8 feet, and 

 train the canes from it to a straight stake, but this plan and 

 one or two others which I have tried I have not found so pro- 

 fitable as the first described. However, whichever way of train- 

 ing is adopted, the supports should always be fixed before the 

 young roots are planted, then plant the roots to them. After 

 planting tie tke canes to the supports, and nothing more will re- 

 quire to be done until the following autumn excepting frequently 

 Dutch-hoeing the surface about the roots and between the 

 rows. Let all the young canes grow which appear. Little or 

 no fruit will be had from them during the first summer they 

 are in their permanent quarters. At the end of the first season 

 after planting loosen-down the old canes and cut them away 

 level with the ground, then select three or four of the strongest 

 canes made during the season and tie them in the place ol 

 those cut out. The strong canes may be topped at 4 feet from 

 the ground, the weaker at 2 feet. Do not tie them closer than 

 :; inches apart against the trellis. When tied to stakes it is 

 diflicult to avoid crowding, and this should be avoided when 

 well-developed fruit is desired. 



Pruning and training throughout their existence oouBists of 



