at BisJiopstoJce Vicarage, Hampshire. 129 



dry subsoil. The owners of gardens will see, from this, that, 

 when a flower-garden or shrubbery is planted, the work is but 

 commenced, and that the care and labour afterwards must be 

 continual. 



We have been subsequently informed that the exotic plants 

 against the conservatory wall are covered, during the most severe 

 weather in winter, with common garden matting. The coping 

 of this wall has a copper guttering, making an entire projection 

 of eight inches, which, besides keeping off all perpendicular rain 

 from the wall and the border at its foot, is a protection from 

 perpendicular cold. The soil required for each exotic planted 

 against this wall is renewed every other year ; and, in order to do 

 this to the larger articles, the gravel of the terrace walk in front 

 requires to be removed. 



The American shrubs grow so vigorously in the groups on 

 the lawn, that they are taken up and replanted every two years, 

 generally in the month of September. The azaleas and rho- 

 dodendrons are taken up with large balls of earth, and the 

 ground is so well watered, at the time of replanting, that the 

 plants never lose any of their leaves. They are placed at such 

 distances as nearly to touch one another ; so that, if they were 

 not taken up, and placed farther apart, every two years, they 

 would soon form a matted thicket, and display blossom only 

 on their upper surface ; whereas, by keeping each plant distinct, 

 it displays its blossoms all round from the ground to the summit. 

 The soil in which these American plants are grown is composed 

 of two thirds of sandy peat and one third of rich loam. The 

 loam is absolutely necessary to promote the vigorous growth of 

 azaleas, rhododendrons, and almost all kinds of American shrubs. 

 [See p. 33.] 



The great advantage of this garden is, its being situated on 

 a very dry subsoil, without which it is in vain to try to accli- 

 matise such plants as, from the list below, will be found to grow 

 freely, some on the open lawn, and others against the conserva- 

 tory wall. The great mischief to all tender plants is produced 

 by the late hoar-frosts in March and April, which are generally 

 followed by very hot sunny days ; but, when exotics are planted 

 in a genial soil placed on a very dry subsoil, and in a warm 

 sheltered situation, they ripen their wood so well in the autumn, 

 that they are much better conditioned to resist hoai'-frosts, and 

 that scorching of the young leaves, which is produced by suc- 

 ceeding sunshine, than such as are planted in rich soils : though 

 the latter may grow more luxuriantly, they never can ripen their 

 wood. 



The following list of the ligneous plants which were growing 

 against this wall, when we saw it, was furnished by Mr. Ingram, 

 formerly foreman to Mr. Page : — 



Vol. X. — No. 49. k 



