1846.] Horticulture. 115 



Many of you must have seen, or heard of, the flowery prairies 

 of the west; anil have noticed the enthusiasm with which travel- 

 ers describe them. Now could we not get such glorious flowers 

 for our gardens? Yes — but most of them would grow dim befoie 

 the superior beauty of our old flowers. I am confirmed in this 

 opinion by what I have seen of them in their native localities; 

 and by examining herbariums of prairie plants. How then, you 

 may ask, is an effect, bordering so closely on the sublime, pro- 

 duced by such means? I answer, because they appear in masses. 

 The greater the multitude and the wider the space, the grander 

 the display; and though within our walls and fences, we cannot 

 equal nature, we can imitate her, for while she presents flowers 

 by the acre, we can do it by the square yard. The snow-drop, 

 crocus, hyacinth, and tulip, may all be employed for this purpose; 

 and when congregated have the most imposing effect. 



The most important principle in autumnal planting, is to pack 

 the earth firmly round the roots. Unpractised hands sometimes 

 scrape it in loosely, smooth the surface, and leave the plant to its 

 fate. I am describing what happened when I commenced gar- 

 dening. The result was, the soil was loose, becoming like a 

 swamp with the late autumnal rains; and when the cold set in 

 severely, the freezing surface fastened round the stem or leaves, 

 while the water below expanding into ice, lifted that surface with 

 every root from its place. When it thawed, however, the earth 

 settled away, leaving them uncovered, to wither in the wind, or 

 perish by succeeding frosts. 



Even tulips and hyacinths, are sometimes destroyed by the same 

 cause. In this case, however, the roots having taken a stiong 

 hold of the soil, refuse to follow the leaves which are upheaved 

 by the frost, and are separated. Probably this is the reason why 

 such plants have frequently failed on sandy soils, but I have never 

 known any failure of the kind, where the ground has been trod- 

 den down firmly over the bulbs. 



This practice may prove useful in another respect. Bulbs are 

 sometimes destroyed in winter by mice; but as far as my obser- 

 vations have extended, it has always occurred where the earth lay 

 loosely OA'er them. Mice have no idea of digging through a firm, 

 compact soil. 



Some shrubs whose stems are too tender to withstand our 

 winters, conform to the habits of herbaceous perennials; and 

 sending up new stems from the root, flower abundantly in sum- 

 mer. Of this kind is the champney rose, and lagerstrcrmia in- 

 dica. With a view to this result, however, they should be plant- 

 ed deeper than usual, that the roots may be safe from the frost. 



A few herbaceous perennials, also too tender for this climate, 

 may be planted very deeply in the border. It is true that some 



