36 CONIFEROUS PLANTS. 



planted under the purchaser's own directions, and, as 

 he considered, with every necessary care to ensure 

 success. Immediately afterwards, wet weather set in 

 and continued for some weeks. Before Christmas, 

 the foliage and lower branches of many of them had 

 become black, and were in a state of gangrene. Being 

 about this time requested to visit the grounds for the 

 purpose of effecting some improvements, we were, of 

 course, desired to report on the unfavourable aspect 

 of the newly planted firs. A few enquiries, and a 

 little examination, revealed the whole cause of the 

 disaster. The soil of the lawn, with the exception of 

 two or three inches of the surface, was a strong clay. 

 In this, places had been prepared for the plants, and 

 good soil had been supplied, but no provision made for 

 carving off the water. The consequence was, that at 

 the time of our visit each specimen literally stood in 

 mud; for the surface of the new soil, instead of 

 being something above, was an inch or two below the 

 surrounding lawn, where the water after every shower 

 collected in small pools about the plants. 



Situations will often occur where drains from the 

 bottom of each prepared position will not be necessary ; 

 but few w r ill be found where drainage, to some extent 

 at least, will not prove highly advantageous. 



