44 BRIEF REMAKKS, 



On good planting depends much of the success that attends the 

 progress of a rosery. When the plants arrive, let all of them be 

 examined, and the roots pruned, not that you can afford to lo.se any of 

 them, but with all the care that can be given tiiey will receive some 

 injuries in taking up and travelling. Let every bruise and damage be 

 removed with a sharp knife ; having prepared all the roots, then dig in 

 one good spit of rotten dung into the ordinary soil of the garden — for 

 notwitlistanding mucli pains have been taken, and are directed to be 

 taken, in preparing the soil, the Rose is not a dainty plant — and com- 

 pletely mix it with a patch that shall be eighteen inches across ; then 

 take out as much soil as Mill make room for the root in width, and 

 place it high enougli to allow of the treading it down to its place, 

 which is with the collar of the root even with the soil. See that the 

 root is spread out as well as it can be spread ; fill in the soil, treading 

 it firmly all round about the extremity of the roots, but not close round 

 the stem ; and when in its place, and the soil regulated a little, drive 

 down strong upright stakes behind the stem, tall enough to reach to 

 the under side of the head, and fasten so that the tree is held in its 

 place. Leave the pruning till the proper season, which is the spring, 

 just before the sap begins to fill out the buds. The objection to close 

 pruning in autumn is, that in very liard frost sometimes it kills back 

 the branches two or three joints ; and if they were pruned back to two 

 joints in tiie autumn, it would spoil the tree altogether to kill any of 

 them back a single joint — John l)ean. 



ToRENiA AsiATicA. — Some persons complain of the great difficulty 

 of keeping this plant alive tiirough winter. I place it in a moderately 

 warm stove, and in that situation, if kept where it has good light, near 

 to the glass, it flourishes and blooms freely all winter. A greenhouse 

 is too cold for it. I grow it in good loam and sandy peat, in a rough 

 (not sifted) state, and have a free drainage. — A Floiver Gardener. 



Layering Evergreen Shrubs.^ — Many of our valuable evergreens 

 do not produce seed in this country ; the best method of increasing 

 such is by layers, and it also furnishes a plant at once. I have adopted 

 this metliod for many years, most successfully, with the Rhododendron, 

 Ivalmia, Phillyrea, Cistus, Arbutus, Magnolia, Daphne, Andromeda, 

 Ledum, Holly, Arbor Vitaj, Juniper, &c. The period I do it is any 

 time from early in January to the end of March. I cut an incision at 

 the under side of a shoot, similar to what is done with the Carnation, 

 making the cut just up to tlie pith, and carefully bend it into a prepared 

 soil (keeping the tongue open), such as the plant usually flourishes in. 

 It is secured down by means of a suitable hooked peg, and cover it 

 over firmly with the same kind of soil. If there be a number of shoots 

 upon a branch, I secure the branch down by means of a strong peg or 

 stake, to which it is fastened by wire. By doing this early in the year 

 the colosity gets formeil, and roots emitted, before the dry weather 

 commences. I adopt the same method with many of the choicest 

 deciduous shrubs, as Althaea, Lonicera, Jasmimuni, Wistaria, Tulip 

 Tree, Azalea, Pyrus, Roses, Clematis, and others, witii equal succej^s. 

 — Alpha. 



