ON LAYING OUT THE FLOWER GARDEN. 17 



coarse for the bottoms, to drain off the water from the surface, 

 and fine gravel for the top, in order that the walk may bind 

 hard. Stones for the rockery should be of the roughest kind, 

 that nature may be as much as possible imitated ; and the 

 arbors and trellises, and the like, should be of the most simple 

 construction. 



AST. 4. General Planting of Shrubs and Flowers. 



The best time for planting shrubs and flowers is in the 

 spring, when the sap is beginning to rise. This generally 

 happens in the month of April, and is, perhaps, the best time 

 for performing such business. 



In many cases, planting may be very judiciously and eco- 

 nomically done in the fall, especially on dry ground, and 

 where hasty improvements are to be made: much work will 

 thus be forwarded before the coming spring. 



The manner of planting may be simply stated in a few 

 words, combining trees, shrubs and flowers. As almost 

 every species of plants have a conjunction of their roots, a 

 few inches under the earth's surface, which, if I may be al- 

 lowed the term, I will consider as the crown of the roots ; 

 let this be the criterion of planting, that the above mentioned 

 part be placed a few inches below the surface, and not too 

 deep, which, in many cases, destroys the plants, particularly 

 those that do not freely root from the foot, or the base of the 

 stem, when their natural roots are destroyed by being placed 

 in a situation injurious to them. 



The proper manner of planting, or act of inserting the 

 roots, so as to insure the growth of the plants, is simply to 

 observe the nature of the fibrous roots and place them in their 

 natural position in the soil. 



Those plants that extend their roots far around the crown 

 or centre, require a hole made to accommodate them, without 

 cramping their roots ; others, that roct downward in a perpen- 

 dicular manner, as the Pa3ony, and tuberous roots, and most 



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