TIMELY TOPICS FOR THE AMATEUR. 



431 



erect them, and even where almost imme- 

 diate effect and results are to be attained, 

 or aherations effected with comparative 

 ease, the surrounding- grounds are often- 

 times laid out and planted in an haphazard, 

 hit-or-miss kind of style, with perhaps very 

 little regfard for present effect, and even less 

 thoug-ht and study given to the ultimate 

 requirements and appearance of trees and 

 shrubs that will take years perhaps to 

 develop their suitability for the position 

 they are to occupy. In carrying out altera- 

 tions or improvements, even when the lawn 

 or garden is quite hmited in extent, ample 

 scope will be found for an amount of study 

 and thought, as well as a display of artistic 

 taste oftentimes considered altogether 

 unnecessary until ineffective and perhaps 

 disastrous results prove conclusively the 

 necessity for the exercise of care and discre- 

 tion in these important matters. 



Another important and often neglected 

 point necessary to be successful with trees 

 and shrubs is the matter of drainage. Many 

 of the choicest and most beautiful of these, 

 as well as many choice varieties of herba- 

 ceous and other flowering plants, have been 

 discarded and rejected in many localities, 

 because of their apparent want of hardiness, 

 when the real cause- of failure has been the 

 want of proper drainage. It is a useless 

 expenditure of time and money to plant 

 expensive trees and plants on ground that 

 is soured and soddened with stagnant 

 surface water, or with cold water that soaks 

 down in early spring, perhaps from higher 

 ground in the neighborhood. This soakage 

 or surface spring water can only be got rid 

 of by sub-soil or under draining the ground, 

 an expensi\e and laborious operation, but 

 one that will repay its cost in a short time, 

 if the work is thoroughly and efficiently 

 carried out. Autumn and the early winter 

 is the best time for digging and construct- 

 ing drains, as it gives time for the soil to 

 settle down somewhat during the winter. 



The location for drains is best selected and 

 marked out in early spring. 



In small plots of garden, where perhaps 

 a proper system of drainage cannot be 

 carried out and the ground is wet, loose 

 stones or coarse rubble can be used to 

 advantage for temporary or makeshift 

 drainage purposes. Dig out the soil first 

 about 2 or 3 feet deep where a flower bed 

 or border is to be made, or a tree or shrub 

 planted, fill in about 10 or 12 inches of 

 good sized stones or coarse gravel and 

 rubble, over this place a thin layer of fine 

 brushwood or coarse weeds and fill up the 

 excavation with good soil as required. 

 This method is often very beneficial to 

 newly planted trees,, etc., for a short time, 

 but a properly constructed stone or tile 

 drain will be found more effective and 

 cheaper in the end than any temporary or 

 makeshift system of drainage. 



THE GREENHOUSE, 



All greenhouse plants, except a few 

 hardy and half hardy plants, should now be 

 safe in their winter quarters in the con- 

 servatory or greenhouse. Hybrid perpetual 

 roses in pots, required for winter forcing, 

 succeed best if allowed to stay outside 

 during a few sharp frosts. Six or eight 

 degrees of frost for a few nights will help 

 to ripen the wood, and this ripening process 

 is a very desirable point to secure with 

 H. P. roses and all hardy plants required 

 for forcing in winter. Before taking the 

 roses into the greenhouse prune them back 

 rather severely, leaving only about an inch 

 or two of the past year's growth. In about 

 a week, or perhaps longer, the buds will 

 show signs of growth. The plants should 

 then be repotted, shaking carefully out 

 about half of the old soil. Repot them 

 firmly into well enriched, clay loam potting 

 soil, water them thoroughly once and then 

 withold water at the roots until the soil, 

 shows signs of dryness. Syringe the 



