Culture of the Pine and Fir Tribe 497 



have never observed them until pointed out to me oy Mr. Enys ; 

 but I am so convinced that this method of cutting back large 

 neglected trees is not only the most effective, but the least ex- 

 pensive, that I shall always practice it whenever I may have to 

 direct the pruning of ornamental forest trees. 



Art. VII. Notice of the Mode of treating the more rare Species of the 

 Pine and Fir Tribe. By P. Frost, Gardener, Dropmore. 



I NOW send you an account of the system we adopt in 

 planting the different species of Pinus ; particularly such as 

 may be termed pot plants, and which have their roots coiled up 

 into a ball. In the first instance, I shall describe the manner in 

 which we prepare the ground for planting them ; that is, by 

 digging a hole from Vlh. to 15 ft. in diameter, by 3 ft. deep, and 

 carrying off the major part of the subsoil, which consits chiefly 

 of gravel. To replace this, we bring a sixth part of bog earth, 

 with a full iialf of scrapings and parings from the road sides, 

 which are of a gritty substance ; taking, at the same time, as much 

 turf as possible; which is all incorporated together. The surface 

 soil here is very light, rather peaty ; and the whole, when mixed, 

 is very light ; and, by using a portion of the gravelly soil na- 

 tural here, it never binds closely together, but remains open and 

 kind. When the hole is ready, observing to keep it nearly a 

 foot higher than the natural surface to allow for sinking, I ex- 

 tricate the plant from the pot, carefully drawing out every root, 

 so as to get the whole ball loose, and not minding if every par- 

 ticle of soil drops. I then extend every root as regularly as 

 possible ; giving them a good watering before I cover them with 

 soil, which causes the soil to adhere closely, and, I find, does 

 much more nood than waterino- when the roots are covered. I 

 find all such plants as have been previously planted with the 

 balls entire never resist wind, but are often destroyed by such 

 careless planting. Those planted since I came here are, in 

 general, growing much more luxuriantly than such as were pre- 

 viouiy planted ; and do not require the same care when exposed 

 to high winds. I mostly use leaves with the surface mould, as 

 I keep the better soil as deep as possible ; and often make the 

 soil better near the roots, by mixing up a wheelbarrow-full of 

 leaves for planting in: I think it gives them a better start at 

 first. The plants require to be tied up for a short time, till the 

 ground gets settled ; when there is no further care required, ex- 

 cept occasional pruning, &c. 



Dropmore, Sept. 1837. 



Vol. XIII.— No, 92. k k 



