History and 'proposed Management. 54<3 



some cases, where the roots are not prominent, the ground may be slightly 

 stirred with the points of the prongs of a fork so as to cause the leaves to ad- 

 here, but this must not be done generally. By means of these leaves, and the 

 short grass cut off by the scythe, a sufficient mulching will be produced for 

 each plant, to keep in the moisture during summer, to keep out the frost to a 

 certain extent during winter, and, as the mulching decays into mould, to sup- 

 ply nutriment to the roots. 



In consequence of this mode of management, and the limited space which 

 there necessarily is between the plants, some species will soon grow so large 

 as to intermingle their branches, or their suckers, with those which are ad- 

 joining them. Whenever this is the case, the overgrown plants must not be 

 thinned or pruned, but be entu'ely taken up by the roots, the soil stirred up 

 to the depth of 2 or 3 feet, some fresh soil added, and a young plant procured 

 from the nursery of the same kind as that taken up, and planted in its place, 

 on the summit of a circular hill of earth of the same diameter and height as at 

 first ■ that is, as before stated, on a hillock of from 3 ft. to 5 ft. in diameter, 

 and from 1 ft. to 1^ ft. high in the centre, above the adjoining surface. The 

 brick tally is then to be replaced on a foundation of bricks, so as not to be biuied 

 above 1 in. by the soil, as at first planting the Arboretum. Some of the pop- 

 lars and elms may require to be taken up and renewed in this manner in the 

 course of 15 or 20 years ; and perhaps some of the shrubs which throw up 

 numerous suckers, such as the common lilac and common philadelphus, 

 and some which throw out rambling shoots, as the common bramble, may 

 require the same treatment at the end of the same period, or before. 



Whenever any of the branches or suckers extend so far as to cover or par- 

 tially obscure the brick tally, it and its foundation of bricks must be taken 

 up and removed 1 or 2 feet further from the plant ; and whenever the glass 

 of any tally is broken, or the card with the name becomes dim, or any other 

 accident happens to it, it must be repaired or renewed by the curator from the 

 reserve stock of bricks, printed cards, and pieces of glass, kept in the north 

 lodge and the flower-garden cottage. 



The miscellaneous collection of roses in the surrounding belt will require 

 particular attention to prevent them from being injured by the adjoining ever- 

 greens ; and, as roses are short-lived plants, some few of them may, perhaps, 

 die every year. Whenever this is the case, the root of the dead plant 

 must be taken up, the soil thoroughly stiiTed, some fresh soil and manure 

 added, and a new plant, of the same kind as before, inserted. When a new 

 plant of the same kind cannot be procured, some other kind of rose of the 

 same section, and not already in the collection, must be planted, and a new 

 name tally prepared accordingly. 



As the trees and shrubs in the belt are much thicker than those in the col- 

 lection, they will have to be thinned out from time to time ; in doing which, 

 the weakest and least valuable plants must be removed first, so that the belt 

 may never have a crowded appearance, or choke up the roses, and at the 

 same time be sufficiently filled with evergreens to conceal, in a great measure, 

 the boundary hedge from the walk. Many of the trees in this belt, and also a 

 number of the old trees of common sorts left standing in the flower-garden 

 and in the collection, will have to be removed in the course of a few years, 

 otherwise the effect of the whole, as well as the growth of all the more deli- 

 cate kinds now planted, will be materially injured. In a word, it forms no 

 part of the design of this Arboretum to exhibit large trees, more especially of 

 the common kinds ; and whenever any one of these, or, indeed, any tree what- 

 ever in the Arboretum, reaches a greater height than 40 or 50 feet, it should 

 be removed. That height is quite sufficient for producing shade, and for 

 showing the form and character of the tree, and its flowers and fruit ; and 

 nothing more is required, or can be admitted in an arboretum on so limited 

 a piece of ground. If this part of the management laid down be neglected, the 

 rapid-growing large trees will soon overtop the slow-growing smaller ones 

 and the shrubs, and ultmiately destroy all the finer kinds. 



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