460 Remarks mid Obsei-vations suggested 



forming the row to plant the seedlings, allow the frost to penetrate, 

 which heaves and swells the ground still further,, so that the al- 

 ternate frosty nights and sunny days of a cold dry spring often 

 make sad havoc among the small plants ; and small plants of ever- 

 greens, planted out in moist weather in April, or even in May, 

 commence to grow as soon as they are planted, and hence often 

 succeed better than those planted in autumn ; much of this will, 

 however, depend on particular situations : in the West of Scot- 

 land, March is generally more or less attended by a succession 

 of dry frosty weather from the east. If severe frosty nights and 

 sunny days do not occur in spring, and the winter is mild, the 

 autumn-planted will succeed best, from the roots being washed 

 into the soil by the winter rains. In sending small evergreens, 

 or even deciduous trees, to a distance in winter, the plants are 

 greatly benefited by having the fibres of the root drawn 

 through a thin puddle, and moss wrapped round the roots to 

 keep them damp ; if the quantities are great, and the plants 

 soft, and closely packed, dampness is apt to cause them to heat : 

 the outside moss should be dry, and care taken in packing, by 

 mixing branches of deciduous trees or otherwise, to allow a cir- 

 culation of air, or ventilation, to take place, which carries off the 

 heat before it accumulates, and checks decomposition. Decidu- 

 ous trees are not so apt to suffer from damp, and should not have 

 so much circulation of air, to dry and evaporate ; if the drying 

 continue till the bark begins to shrink, they will most likely 

 perish. Packages sent by sea are not so apt to suffer from drying, 

 from the greater moisture of the air. When plants reach their 

 destination, and have been long detained and dried, it is often 

 the practice to saturate the ground they are planted in with 

 water ; but Dr. Lindley observes, excess of water in such cases 

 is dangerous to the languid powers of the plant and roots ; and 

 to water sparingly, shade from a hot sun, and moisten the bark 

 and underside of the leaves, if evergreen, are more likely to suc- 

 ceed. Plants that are wiry and hard in the roots, and dense and 

 well ripened in the wood, are more tenacious of life than such 

 as are softer, and will suffer less from exposure; the thorn is an 

 instance of this, it is not easily killed. The necessity of preserv- 

 ing the fibres of the root uninjured, as much as possible, and 

 carefully cutting the wounds clean, when any bruises are made, 

 is clearly and forcibly pointed out ; when the roots are far ex- 

 tended in the ground, it is difficult to lift them without injuring 

 the roots ; and for this reason young plants should be as fre- 

 quently as possible transplanted in the nursery before planting- 

 out finally; it checks the roots from extending, and keeps the 

 young fibres more close together ; it also gives the plants a more 

 hardy habit. Plants removed from a thick plat, where the con- 

 j5ned air keeps up heat, are, when planted out separately, like 



