Jannttr; 9, 1866 ] 



JOUENAL OP HOBTICtJLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



31 



are called bulbs, as Winter Aconites, Snowdrops, Crocits, &c., 

 are the better of Imving onlj' a little extra heat given ; Hyacinths 

 and Narcissus, after the pots are full of roots, will stand more ; 

 Tulips will go between tho two. From 45° to 50" is quite 

 enough for the first, from 55' to 70° for the second, and from 

 50° to 55° and 60° for Tulips. Hyacinths will rise more freely 

 if a funnel or a pot is placed over tho flower-stalli just after it 

 has shown, and a mild bottom heat will assist them, and a 

 little manm'e-watering as the stem rises. "When wanted to 

 bloom in glasses, and not to be gi'own in glasses, we know no 

 better plan than, just when the first flowers of the spike are 

 opening, to take the plant out of the pot, and wash away all the 

 soil carefully with the hand in a pail of water at 70°, turn the 

 roots carefully into the glass, and if the glass is coloured so 

 that the water cannot be seen, put in a few nodules of sweet 

 dried cowdung, and as many more of little bits of charcoal, 

 fill with water at between 60° and 70°, and change every three 

 days or so. When we used thus to manage with coloured 

 glasses, a pinch of superphosphate of lime, as much as could 

 comfortably be taken between the thumb and linger, placed 

 in the water each time it was changed, would add to the size 

 and strength of the svjeet bells. A similar dressing twice 

 a-week would also be useful, spread on the surface of the pot 

 before watering. Sheep or deer dung collected and kept dry to 

 sweeten for two or three months, and then hot water, when 

 near the boihng jDoint, pom-ed over it, say twelve gallons to a 

 peck, allowed to stand for forty-eight hours, and then the clear 

 liquid used in watering, alternately with clean water, will do 

 much to strengthen the flower-stalks ; but this li(iiud must not 

 be used oftener nor stronger, if regard must be had to fine 

 distinct colours iu the flowers. 



All hardy shrubs, as Rhododendrons, Kalmias, Eoses, and 

 Lilacs, will do better if they have been well grown so as to fill 

 the pots in summer, and obtain a mild bottom heat now, 

 and from 50° to (30° top heat, with a rise in sunshine, the 

 syringe being freely used in fine bright weather to soften the 

 buds. When the bloom begins to open the plants must be 

 hardened off by degi-ees, so as to stand iu cooler places, as 

 greenhouses. Hardy Azaleas and Chinese Azaleas require 

 similar cai-e, both before and after they are iu bloom, bringing 

 them on gradually and hardening them oft' gradually. Many a 

 Chinese Azalea well supplied with buds will throw these buds 

 when taken at once from a temperature of 35° and placed in 

 one of 65° ; whilst if it had obtained a few days at 45', a week 

 at 50°, another at 55°, and so on, all tho buds would have opened 

 kindly. 

 _ 2nd, Tlie importance of rcgidat'mg tanperatnrc in propor- 

 tion to lUjht. If in such dull weather as we have lately had 

 we give a high temperature to lots of comparatively hardy plants, 

 WE encourage weak sickly growth, which is almost sure to be 

 attacked with insects. Hence the constant advice, Smoke with 

 tobacco at least ouce a-week, in order to keep all right. We 

 sometimes wonder what sort of an amount a year's consump- 

 tion of tobacco will thus come to. A lower temperature, when 

 there was little sun to consoUdate growth, would have pre- 

 vented this being weakly, and saved many pounds of tobacco. 

 Besides, that is not all : tobacco is dangerous when growth is 

 tender, and the foliage or flower-stems are at all damp. We 

 have looked at half a dozen sad complaints of herbaceous Calceo- 

 larias and Cinerarias being next to destroyed by smoking them 

 for gi-een fly ; whilst with the mild weather we have had this 

 winter, provided these plants had been cool enough and moist 

 enough, and therefore allowed to grow more slowly, there 

 would Jiave been no green fly to destroy ; at least it seldom 

 appears in such circumstances. 



3rd, Traiisplantbig Trecx and Shrubs. — We have pretty well 

 finished the most of what is to be done in this way at 

 present. From a passing remark made on transplanting 

 shrubs, &c., two inquiries have come to us soheiting an 

 answer here. First, " What sort of a thing is the low-wheeled 

 truck you speak about ? " We have some waggonettes here, 

 chiefly for moving plants, and which average 5 feet long, 

 2j feet wide, with sides and ends 6 inches deep, furnished with 

 a handle on a swivel, and two axles and four wheels, each 

 9 to 12 inches in diameter. Thus mounted we call them " go- 

 ashores." The sides and ends are fastened to the stout floor 

 with bolts. AVhen we use these for transplanting rather heavy 

 shrubs with a ball, we take off the sides and ends, an inclined 

 plane is made after the shrub has been imdermined, and 

 one end of the platfoi-m truck is brought under the shrub, and 

 with the help of levers the truck and the shrub are got out of 

 the hole, and if the ground is not very soft, and there is 



enough of strength, the shrub can be taken anywhere. The 

 second inquiry has reference to "the transplanting a lot Of 

 young Oaks growing in an unsuitable place, in good loamy soil, 

 trees from 20 to 35 feet iu height. The place they would be 

 taken to is rather more exposed, but the ground equally good. 

 Must be moved this year if moved at all, otherwise be gruljbed 

 up. Would be anxious to move them, but do not know how to 

 go about it. Can give ahorse, but will not be at the trouble or 

 expense of obtaining a transplanting machine, with strange 

 people to manage it. I\Iust have it done, if done at all, with 

 my own people, with such machinery as they can improvise for 

 the purpose." Well, we have helped to move many such trees 

 without auy machinery at all, and thus we proceeded : We 

 dug down a circular trench from 6 to 8 feet from the bole of the 

 tree, according to its height, traced out the roots, and picked 

 away the soil pretty well up to the bole, and then had the 

 eartliless roots and the tops carried to the place where an 

 equally large hole had been prepared, and after having the tree 

 set ujn'ight, after neatly shortening-in the branches, packed the 

 roots firmly and nicely with the new soil, and if rather damp 

 gave no watering until March, but if the soil was dryish watered 

 when all the roots were packed. After allowing time to settle 

 — that is, whilst another tree was being planted, then the rest 

 of the soil was placed on, and beaten firmly, except a little 

 loose soil left on the sui'face. A basin was also left in case the 

 summer should be very diy. Such trees would rccjuire securing 

 from wind, either by three poles, or better still, by three ropes, 

 or three chains fastened to a collar put round the stem of the 

 tree, and attached to three stout stakes or iJoles, put at equal 

 distances 8 or 9 feet from the bole. Under such circumstances 

 as those alluded to, however, we would proceed a little diffe- 

 rently. We would dig the trench as above, and proceed with 

 disentangling the roots until we came to within 20 or 24 inches 

 of the bole, we would then undermine the ball pretty well all 

 round. We would then procure a stout timber gig, consisting 

 of a stout axle-tree with a wheel at each end, and a stout pole 

 to work at pleasure in the centre of the axletrce. We would 

 wrap a mat or two round the ball, make an inclined plane for 

 the wheels, one of these to go down on each side of the ball ; 

 wraji a mat with some straw, &c., round the bottom of the bole 

 of the tree to prevent grazing the bark ; set the pole of the gig up- 

 right, against the bole of the tree ; bring a stout iron chain from 

 the axle-tree to go underneath each side of the ball, and fasten 

 that tightly and securely ; brace the pole of the gig and the 

 bole of the tree firmly together, placing some litter between 

 them to prevent grazing the bark ; then attach a chain to the 

 top of the pole, and long enough that when tho other end was 

 attached to the horse-tackle the horse would be far enough from 

 the top of the tree when it came down. A steady pull, with 

 the help of some leverage, will bring the pole and the top of 

 the tree down, and raise the ball, hanging from and behind the 

 axletree ; another pull and a little leverage will take the wheels 

 out of the hole, and a little on to solid ground. Then unhook 

 the horse, have some men to keep the top of the tree right, 

 and connect the horse with the axletree behind, when the root 

 end will be brought to its destination, men looking after the top 

 all the time. It is easy to bring the root end just over the centre 

 of the hole, and when the top is set upright the pole maybe re- 

 moved from the bole, all chains unfastened, and the packing 

 proceeded with. Though this mode requires more moving- 

 power, yet, if well done, and the trees are not larger than 

 stated, the ball thus secured will keep the tree secure in its 

 place without the assistance of ropes, stakes, or chains. Two 

 other points had better be attended to : First, never let the tree 

 be deeper planted than it was at first ; and, secondly, when re- 

 moving from a wami to a colder place, some small hay-bands, 

 or straw-bands, should be twined round the bole and principal 

 branches, not close together, but with openings between ; and 

 this, if the bands are made loose and rough, will help to keep 

 the trees warmer, and will also keep the bark moister. The 

 same remark as to watering will apply as in the first mode 

 noticed. We have known transplanted trees perish from 

 nothing but keeping the roots in a morass. To prevent this, 

 in all stiff soils the subsoil, if not taken out, should be weU 

 picked to allow excess of moisture to escape freely. '\ATien the 

 soil is kept wet about stagnant roots it just ensures extra cold, 

 whilst we should wish the soil, if possible, to be warmer than 

 usual. The roots will push sooner when the soil is neither 

 wet nor dry, and a little water when the buds push will be more 

 important than much deluging now. A little lightening of the 

 heads, so as to lessen the surface of evaporation, will also be 

 useful ; but it will be wise to do it neatly, and to cut back to 



