28 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



November, 



THE COMPLETE GARDEN.* 



XI. 

 BY A WELL-KNOWN HORTICULTURIST. 



Continued frompage 9. 



PLANTING THE PLACE— THE HARDY TREES, 

 SHRUBS, AND VINES. 



Having now attended to the matters of 

 selecting the garden site, the principles of 

 general arrangement, the fitting up of the 

 soU to receive trees and plants, and enclos- 

 ing or dividing of the garden area, we may 

 at this stage proceed with the important 

 matter of planting the place, taking up in 

 detail the selection of Iciiids throughout, and 

 such special instructions concerning man- 

 agement as are adapted to the numerous 

 classes used in stocliing a complete garden. 

 And, inasmuch as the growths of a woody 

 nature, trees, shrubs, and vines, require 

 more time than others for reaching fruitful- 

 ness and maturity, it is important that these 

 should be among the first to interest the 

 planter of a place; hence it is in order that 

 they receive first attention here, following 

 later with herbaceous,tender and seed-grown 

 kinds. Before proceeding to special classes, 

 it may be proper to consider certain princi- 

 ples of planting which apply with more or 

 less force to all hardy trees, shrubs and vines. 



When to Plant Trees, etc. The season 

 between leaf fall in the autumn and leaf 

 breaking in the spring is the natural plant- 

 ing time. In the case of Evergreens, which 

 do not drop their leaves in the fall, this rule 

 still holds good, for during this period 

 growth in these is inactive, hence the trees 

 are fit for moving. Were it not for the un. 

 certain vicissitudes of the winter to come, 

 or were all trees and shrubs absolutely hardy 

 under all circumstances, I would lay down 

 the rule that aU be planted as soon after the 

 leaf falling time referred to as possible. 

 As these important points are not to be fa- 

 vorably reckoned upon, it is best to modify 

 the rule, by saying that with such and such 

 kinds it is best to take chances on fall plant- 

 ing, but with certain others not. 



The kinds of trees and shrubs which, 

 therefore, in the latitude of Central New 

 York, I prefer to plant in the fall may be 

 specified as follows: 



AU Fruit trees but stone sorts. 



Cherry and Plum of stone sorts in light dry soil. 



RaspbeiTies, Blackberries, and Grape-vines, 

 (with winter protection to prevent heaving). 



Elms, Horse-chestnuts, Maples, Oaks, and the 

 hardier native trees. 



Birches, Larches, and Beeches always in the 

 fall it possible. 



To the above might be added the hardier 

 shrubs, like LUacs,Mock Oranges, Loniceras, 

 Berberries, Native Viburnums, etc. , and the 

 climbing Ampelopsis, Honeysuckles, and 

 native vines, but as these mo.stly transplant 

 with the greatest ease in the spring, and 

 when other kinds that should not be set in 

 the fall are being put out, it is seldom worth 

 while to start in on planting the former in 

 the fall. The advantages of fall planting 

 in the cases safe to venture on are found 

 in the fact that the soil has a chance to 

 settle well to the roots by spring, permit- 

 ting the tree to then start upon a course of 

 uninterrupted growth, and actually before 

 the earth would be dry enough for good 

 tillage. There is also usually more leisure 

 for the work in the fall than in the spring. 



Next to fall planting in the cases specified, 

 I prefer to do all setting oiit of hardy trees 

 and shrubs, Evergreens included, as early in 

 the spring, after the soil works up mellow, 

 as possible. A difference of a few weeks 

 even, between early and later planting at 

 this season, may make just the difference 

 between perfect and indifferent success in 

 the work. The hardier Evergreens may 

 also be safely transplanted immediately 

 after the growth of the season is completed, 

 • Copyright, 1887, Popular Gardening Publishing Co. 



(usually by August), provided a moist spell 

 of weather conducive to such operations 

 should then prevail. By planting these 

 under favorable conditions in August or 

 September (not later), the roots have a chance 

 to put in some work before cold weather, 

 fitting the tree to safely withstand the win- 

 ter ahead. 



Where and How to Procure the Stock. 

 Under this head there come up three 

 important considerations. The first Ls the 

 getting of reliable stock, true to name and 

 grown under healthy conditions; the second, 

 to get such as has been raised with a view 

 to an abundance of healthy roots on the 

 dug-up plant, and third, the idea of the least 

 possible exposure of the roots from the 

 moment of laying them bare at digging 

 to their final covering in planting. These 

 points closely observed and the road to good 



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results is easily made certain; a single one 

 disregarded and "no luck in planting" 

 would very likely be the conclusion arrived 

 at by the end of the first season. 



To get reliable stock the only safe course 

 is to deal vrith growers or salesmen of un- 

 doubted reliability. To ascertain beyond 

 any question as to who among nurserymen 

 are to be trusted, if you do not know, con- 

 sult with intelligent horticulturists in your 

 neighborhood or elsewhere for a list of 

 such. The nurserymen who advertise in 

 agricultural or horticultural papers of high 

 character are also, with very rare excep- 

 tions, to be trusted. Be especially on your 

 guard against dealing with traveling agents 

 who are strangers; of this class I believe 

 there are more who are downright swindlers 

 than of honest men, representing responsible 

 firms. A ditficult feature in judging here is 

 that the bad will take every possible means 

 to convince you of their being otherwise, 

 and in this, they too often succeed. 



A safe course in dealing with strangers 

 is to find out their professed connections, 

 with name, at a first meeting, giving 

 them no farther ear untU, after writing 

 to the house they claim to represent, you 

 are assured of their reliability. Even then 

 it would be best to reach your conclusions 

 on what is wanted by independent inquiry 

 among those who have fine home grounds 

 of their own, or by the study of catalogues, 



books, and periodicals, than on the agent. 

 You m ay be sure that under any circum 

 stances these gentlemen will be determined 

 to sell you all the trees they can of the 

 kinds they hold in stock, keeping very silent 

 about desirable kinds not possessed. But 

 another point is that, if a large assortment 

 is wanted, it can, for obvious reasons, be 

 bought to better advantage of several nurs- 

 ery firms than of one. 



Concerning stock grown with a view to 

 plenty of good roots, I would say that most 

 of that raised by reliable nurseries would be 

 found satisfactory. To promote this condi- 

 tion two common means are employed by 

 nurserymen, namely, frequent transplanting 

 (equivalent to root pruning) and direct root 

 pruning. If, by putting the question to a 

 reliable nurserymen, you can satisfy your- 

 self that he pays due attention to these points 

 you would be safe in trusting your order 

 with him. It might be well, however, to 

 make the quality of the roots a condition 

 of the acceptance of the stock when you 

 send in the order. It should also be observed 

 that the larger trees as they leave the nur- 

 sery are, the smaller the stock of roots pro- 

 portionately, this being the excellent reason 

 why the most intelligent planters usually 

 insist on receiving medium rather than large 

 sized trees. The average of trees dug up 

 from the forests and waste places are very 

 inferior to nursery trees, for the plain reason 

 of having poor roots because they have 

 sprung up without transplanting (root prun- 

 ing in effect) at any time and with no culture. 



Lessening the period of root exposure. 

 To accomplish this it is a great gain, either 

 to buy all suitable stock you can from a 

 local nursery, in order that less than a day 

 need intervene between ground and ground 

 in transplanting, (and at that keeping it 

 protected with damp straw and blankets), 

 or else to insist, if the trees are shipped, that 

 they be boxed and the roots packed in moss. 

 Put it down as a good rule that in no case 

 can there be any considerable exposure of 

 the roots to the air without damaging con- 

 sequences. The best protection to the roots 

 during the period between digging and final 

 planting is to heel them well into the earth. 



The ordering of nursery stock should be 

 done at the earliest practicable moment after 

 the last planting season, with a view to the 

 next. The reason why, is that for your 

 order to be received among the earliest at 

 the nursery, and by demanding its early 

 filling at the next digging time, this will be 

 done, thus permitting of getting your plant- 

 ing along with at the very beginning of the 

 next season, instead of having order fill- 

 ing crowded oflf until late, as must reason- 

 ably occur if it is sent in along with the rush 

 of the season's orders. With orders sent in 

 early revisions may be made later on with- 

 out effecting the earliness of such being 

 filled. An exact copy of each order should 

 be made and preserved. 



General Notes on Planting. Along 

 with making out the order of planting stock, 

 the plan of the grounds, which, in its 

 main features should have been designed 

 long before, will naturally be developing 

 more fully in details. The place for particu- 

 lar kinds and the kinds for particular places 

 will be quite sure to be determined fully 

 only as the order itself receives its final 

 touches, if indeed this part can ever be said 

 to have been fully done. 



The point I desire to make here is that in 

 the intervening time between an early send- 

 ing away of the order as suggested and the re- 

 ceipt of the stock, the location of every tree, 

 shrub and plant should be so clearly decided 

 upon, and then marked out on the plan, and 

 such other provisions preparatory to plant- 

 ing be made, as will enable this part to 

 proceed with no loss of precious time on the 

 arrival of the stock. For all this the main 



