March 21, 1865. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOKTIGULXaEE AND COTTAGE GARDENEE. 



225 



Ijcudetl eai-tli heat, wliioli heat is absolutely necessary to 

 unable tLe roots to extract from the soil the food proper for 

 the tree. Besides, the leaves being also uninjured, begin 

 to elaborate the fresh sap, and so increase that reserve 

 of cambium which some think is dispersed in the interior 

 tissues of the tree, for the ijurpose of preserving its vitality 

 during the trials of the winter season. This seems a reason- 

 able supposition, and an explanation of the reason why early 

 transplanting is so beneficial when properly performed. 

 Our French neighbours are not unaware of this, for at Mon- 

 treml November is considered to be the proper month for 

 planting ; but then there is, no doubt, as much heat in the 

 earth during November in that sunny spot as there is in 

 our cloudy land divring October. When, however, trees are 

 received from a distance the case is diiferent. The leaves 

 cannot be e.xpected to recover, and no advantage can be 

 obtained by planting so early. Provided, then, care is taJcen 

 to anticipate the extreme cold of November, early in that 

 month is a suitable time. 



Should early planting be impossible, it is not a bad plan 

 to wait tiU mild weather sets in in February or March. 

 Dry, windy, or sunny days are unfavourable for transplant- 

 ing, on account of the amount of evaporation they promote 

 in the tree ; for even when the trees are without leaves, 

 evaporation takes place through the bark, and if there be 

 no corresponding absorption of moisture through the spon- 

 gioles to supply this waste, they being out of the ground, 

 the tree suffers. A mild, rather damp day is then the best 

 for the operation we are describing. 



Of course, young trees are by far the most easy to remove. 

 Whenever large fruit trees are transplanted, men of great 

 experience in such matters tell us that the success of the 

 operation depends mainly on the quantity of earth removed 

 with the roots. They also recommend such large trees to 

 be removed in a growing state, because the moistiu-e re- 

 maining in the earth adhering to the roots is at once assi- 

 milated as food for the tree. But when the earth is cold 

 and the tree dormant, this moisture surrounding the roots 

 is not absorbed by them, nor can it be. The result is that 

 it has rather a tendency to rot the roots, more especially 

 those portions which have been injured. There is no doubt 

 that the whole subject of transplantation is a very interest- 

 ing one, and deserves careful study. 



The process of planting is as follows. Having chosen the 

 young Peach tree for its clear and polished bark, the proper 

 distance to place the stem fi-om the wall is about 6 inches. 

 Some say 4 inches, but on the authority of the best culti- 

 vator in England it is stated at 6. 



If the tree is to be planted where no other has stood, a 

 hole twice the diameter of the roots when spread out is 

 sufficient. If otherwise, the old soil must be removed, and 

 the opening made much wider. A piece of pavement or a 

 wide flat stone is generally placed under the tree to prevent 

 the roots striking downwards. The old monks always did this, 

 and famous gardeners they were. Roots grow in tiers ; there- 

 fore the lowest tier mxist be carefully spread out all round, 

 occupying the ground without crossing each other if possible. 

 Fine pulverised soil must be shaken over this lowest tier, 

 but no manm-e must ever touch them. Never tread on the 

 roots, as so many do, and never move the tree up and down, 

 which absurd practice has the effect of doubling up the fine 

 ends of the roots underneath. Break down the sides of the 

 hole for fresh earth, and place pieces of turf cut from a rich 

 field for the roots to run into at their fii-st stai-t. Then the 

 upper tier of the roots should be spread out fanwise in the 

 same careful way, and equally covered. When the earth is 

 filled in to three-fourths, water ii-eely in light soils, and less 

 in firm ones. More water in any case should be given to 

 trees planted in the spring. Mulching at the time of trans- 

 planting is an excellent old custom; it excludes frost, and 

 lessens evaporation. 



Deep planting is an evil in the case of fi-uit trees. No 

 tree should be planted deeper than it formerly grew, or it 

 will be in danger of having its roots stifled for want of air ; 

 and this wiU cause the tree to languish, till, by an effort of 

 nature, it pushes out roots nearer to the surface for air. 

 Thus delay wiU aiise instead of progress. It is by far the 

 best, especially in firm and retentive soils, to plant the tree 

 so that a small mound is necessary to cover the roots. Let 

 these be within an inch or so of the surface— the ground 



will always settle. Deep planting should always be avoided. 

 If done, the tx'ee makes no spring growth, but grows late in 

 the year — exactly the reverse of what we require. 



Some trees are notoriously more diiBcult to transplant 

 than others. Some place them in this order as to risk — 

 first the Cherry, then the Apricot, and then the Peach ; bat 

 if carefuUy done there is little real danger. We should 

 never forget to secure transplanted trees firmly to the wall, 

 for fear of high winds. 



In the case of the Peach there is always a certain danger 

 lest the buds which have remained latent during the whole 

 of one season should not break at all; therefore the tree 

 may be headed down soon after it is planted, as a rule. 

 Nevertheless, could we secure the roots intact, there would 

 be little need of this. If the tree has been grown in a pot 

 the roots ought to be entire, and having shaken out most 

 of the ball of earth, the roots should then be spread out 

 well, and no shortening ought to be required. This, of 

 course, presupposes that the tree while in a pot has been 

 regularly trained for the particular form required. 



On the whole, it cannot be said that trees which have 

 been more than three years in pots are the best suited for 

 planting out. The roots become strong, and have an inward 

 twist, which makes it perilous to endeavour to open them 

 out well. A year or two may be passed with very great 

 profit if the trees be well looked to, and pots changed a3 

 the roots fill them. Up to three years this may be done ; and 

 certainly the way that vertical cordons, three years estab- 

 lished in large pots and full of fruit-buds, both grow and 

 bear the season after they are planted out would astonish 

 those who depreciate pot-cultivation. — T. C. Beishaut. 



STEAWBEREIES IN DOESET. 



The Strawberry plants here are beautiful, and have win- 

 tered well, as can be seen by any of your readers, who live 

 near here, if they please to look in. John Powell is first- 

 class as a plant of dwarfish habit. The fruit last year was 

 excellent. Sir Joseph Paxton is a charming plant ; and, 

 with its fine bold crowns, now beginning to show its fruit- 

 buds, is a fine verdigris green with stout foliage, uninjured 

 by this severe winter. President, also, is a nice, strong, 

 hardy plant, and defiant of winter. They are two of the 

 best, as plants, of later-raised novelties, to suit and please 

 me. Eclipse is also hardy and healthy, and, I fancy, it is 

 the highest flavoiu'ed and best of all the early Strawbei-ries. 



The first-rate Queen-growers of this county, who seldom 

 fail with the Queen, failed signally last year. They were 

 loud in the praises of Wonderful especially, Rivers's Eliza, 

 and Empress Eugenie. These three and the Frogmore 

 Pine and Royal Hautbois are my pentateuch of dependence 

 and excellence. I have extra-fine plants of the Scarlet Pine 

 in the same place as La Constante used to stand. It is 

 treated in the same way. It is a delicious first-class Straw- 

 berry, of qiiick establishment, and of a most hardy and 

 robust constitution. As it does not always set its fruit well, 

 I have not recommended it; but it is well worth a trial. 

 You would find no trouble with it as a plant. — W. F. Kad- 

 CLTFFE, Tarrant BusMon, Blandford. 



• ' MY PLANTS, 



AND HOW AKD WHERE I FOUND THEM. 



"Earth is now green, and heaven is blue ; 

 Lively .spring, which makes all new. 



Jolly spring rioth enter : 

 Sweet young sunbeams doth subdue 

 Angry, aged winter." 



It was in the spring of 1863 that I found myself located 

 in a small vUlage in North Staffordshire. My husband had 

 accepted the offer of partnership with a medical gentleman 

 in that county; and it was with low spirits and a large 

 amovxnt of fearfulness that I left the Great Northern Station, 

 and found myself whirling onwards, onwards, to what I 

 feared would be a mass of smoky chimneys and furnaces ; for 

 I am ashamed to say that my idea of Staffordshire was em- 

 bodied in that well-known expression " the Black Country." 

 Manufactviring towns and smoke were my abhorrence. You 

 may therefore fully realise my mental pain. I, a lover of 



