December 6, 1877. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



453 



a plant, and could not ascertain how long it had been undis- 

 turbed ; as I believe it is only in the gardens of cottagers or in 

 those of amateurs that have partly been neglected of late years 

 that we find this plant in such good condition as the one 

 mentioned above. The attempt to propagate is often too 

 great to be resisted by the more fashionable gardener of the 

 present day, bo that but comparatively few large specimens are 

 met with. 



It was growing on a deep yellow loamy soil, and almost 

 touching it was a Hydrangea that annually flowered a very 

 good blue, but the appearance of the soil was the very reverse 

 to poat, although Rhododendrons seemed to thrive pretty 

 well in it. The soil to my mind resembled the dried-up mud 

 of a pond, which it possibly might have been. The flowers 

 of the Hellebore, I may add, had not the least tinge of pink 

 about them, which many otberB that I have met with have, 

 and the foliage of the plant was both ample and luxuriant, 

 and its flowering nearly a month before Christmas in the 

 present year is only in accordance with that of several other 

 early spriDg flowers, as many Primroses and not a few Poly- 

 anthuses are in full flower, which no doubt is due to the 

 moderate rainfall we had at various times duriDg the Bum- 

 mer. — J. Robson. 



BEHOVING TBEES. 



The following remarks will, I trust, be of service to some 

 young gardeners and others who may have trees or shrubs to 

 move, and with poor facilities for the undertaking. Few 

 employers will go to the expense of hiring or buying barrows 

 and other tree-movers, consequently some other cheaper if 

 less effective appliance must be adopted. November is generally 

 considered the best time for moving all kinds of trees, decidu- 

 ous or otherwise. We, however, moved trees during intervals 

 of favourable weather throughout last winter as successfully 

 as those moved in November. We were re-arranging a shrub- 

 bery or arboretum formed about nine years ago. AmoDg others 

 we moved specimens of Piceas Nordmanniana, grandis, and 

 Pinsapo, Cupressus funebris and Lawsoniana, Salisburia adi- 

 antifolia, Thujas, Abies, Thnjopsis borealis, Sophoras japonica 

 and pendula, Acacia tortuosa, Phillyreas, Hollies, Portugal 

 Laurels, &a. Of course there were failures, notably with 

 Cedrus Deodara and Arbutus Unedo, but in neither caEe was a 

 ball obtainable, and seldom is unless prepared by digging a 

 trench round the previous year, the roots being inclined to 

 ramble and make but little fibre. Many of the trees ware a 

 fair size, but the largest and best specimen successfully moved 

 without any previous preparation was a Wellingtonia gigantea, 

 the height of which was 20 feet, and fairly proportionate. 



I will briefly detail our method of procedure in this instance, 

 the same plan (according to the size of tree) being adopted 

 with the others. The soil and subsoil varied considerably, but 

 clayey loam was most prevalent. This was greatly in our 

 favour, as where there is any great amount of sand or gravel 

 the ball is apt to crumble away. The ball of the Wellingtonia 

 consisted principally of the clayey loam, clay predominating. 

 We commenced operations by carefully tying up all the lower 

 branches, drawing them us much out of the way as possible. 

 A circle was next marked round the tree about 6 feet from the 

 stem, and inside of this a trench 2 feet wide was taken out. 

 The men were facing the tree, and using spades when cutting 

 the outer ring. After this they had the tree always on the 

 left or right hand as the case might be, and dispensed with 

 the spade as much as possible, using forks and picks where 

 necessary. This was done to save as many roots as possible, 

 those farthest from the stem being the best, and were taken 

 great care of. We continued this till we were well below the 

 principal roots and intended ball before commencing its re- 

 duction. This rule should always be strictly followed, as it 

 greatly facilitates all after proceedings. The men are generally 

 in too great a hurry to get the tree out, but by allowing plenty 

 of depth and width much labour is eventually saved and success 

 is more likely to ensue. We then commenced undermining 

 with the picks, gradually working-off small pieces from the 

 ball (large pieces bring away too many roots), keeping the 

 trench clear with the shove). This went on until we were 

 within about 2J feet from the stem. The surface soil was 

 then pricked of! till the roots were reached (thiB helps to pre- 

 vent cracking) ; all the roots, where practicable, were pegged to 

 the ball, and the longer and stronger ones tied to the stem. 

 We undermined the ball until only a small pillar of soil re- 

 mained and then inserted our slides. 



Thase were made of deal, were 7 feet long, 4 inches thick, 

 and 8 inches wide ; they were rounded off from the centre to 

 enable them to run freely, and the bottoms shod with old cart 

 tires. This is necessary, or the roads will tear them to pieces. 

 Strong bolts with eyes and rings for drawing purposes were 

 inserted in the inner Bide of each end, and two strong bolts 

 were made for connecting and tightening the slides. These 

 were 3 feet long, square at the head, Bcrew ends and the 

 nuts had a small handle attached for tightening purposes. 

 The Bockets were square, with iron plates on the outer sides, 

 and were placed in the centre of the wood about 15 inches 

 from the ends. The way out, kept clear from the com- 

 mencement, was sloped off to an easy rire, the slides adjusted 

 accordingly, and so as to nicrly balance tbe ball, were screwed 

 up, and the remaining soil then worked from under the ball, 

 allowing it to gradually settle on the slides. This was " ticklish.-" 

 work, and was done with a crowbar and long heavy chisel. 

 Two wedge-shaped boards were worked in before and behind 

 the ball, and planks under tho slides to improve the running. 

 Three horses were required, a man at the head of each (to 

 prevent snatching, broken chains, <&c), and the tree firmly 

 bound to the slides was then drawn out and away to its present 

 site, previously prepared, a sloping inlet made, &c. ; the horses 

 were unhooked, taken to the opposite Bide, long and strong 

 chains attached, and it was soon in. The bolts were with- 

 drawn, the slides undermined and taken out, and the " worst 

 was over." 



We then unpegged and cleanly cut the ends of all the roots, 

 taking out all those badly damaged. They were then laid on 

 the soil as filled in, every one in its proper place or level. The 

 ball being rather dry was pierced with pointed iron rods and 

 thoroughly Eoaked, not by heavy but frequent waterings. Had. 

 the ball been in a moist condition no water would have been 

 used, as the surrounding soil was in good condition, and I 

 think it a great mistake to saturate newly-planted trees ; they 

 will "settle" fast enough. We made the balls as flat as 

 possible, to enable them to more readily unite with the Boil, 

 and they are less likely to get out of the perpendicular. All 

 the holes were well prepared, not mere basins, to fit the ball, 

 but ample space was giyen, the soil thrown out, the subsoil 

 broken-up with a pick, and good soil, principally from an old 

 rubbish heap, was added. Tbe trees inmost cases were planted 

 rather above the level, as this gives a greater depth of good 

 soil, and consequently the roots are longer reaching an un- 

 kindly subsoil. 



Slides on a smaller scale would, I think, be found very use- 

 ful for moving small specimens, as two or four men can lift 

 out and carry or draw them to freBh sites without having to 

 wriggle or twist them about to get planks, hand-barrows, or 

 whatever is used under and away from them again. Slides 

 have, I believe, long been in use, but I have never seen ,any 

 but tbose I have had made. They certainly answered our 

 purpose remarkably well, but anyone with a better and equally 

 simple invention will greatly oblige me and doubtless others 

 by describing it. — W. Iggulden, Orsett Hall, Essex. 



EAIN-PEOOF BEDDING PLANTS. 



1877 has been an exceptionally wet year all over the country, 

 and throughout the season its effects have been shown on few 

 things to a greater extent than on Bummer bedding plants. 

 Gorgeous masses of colour, and magnificent displays from May 

 to September or October, have been few and far between this 

 year; and however much Geraniums, Calceolarias, Verbenas, 

 and other half-tender plants may have bsen petted and hold- 

 up as infallible, I fear this season must have brought them 

 into general discredit. But in saying this let it be understood 

 that I do not despise summer bedding. Hardy herbaceous 

 plants are all very good in their piece, but those who advocate 

 filling our flower garden designs with a mixture of such plants 

 must be regarded by the general community as showing worse 

 taste than that which they condemn. What I mean doing, and 

 what others will find it to their advantage to do, is to make 

 the flower garden as gay as it possibly can be made with bed- 

 ding plants in summer, and only employ Buch plants that will 

 make and retain a gorgeous display independent of either sun 

 or rain. Geraniums, Calceolaria?, Verbenas, and such like 

 cannot be relied on to do this, but there are other plante 

 equally gay which can. 



During the past summer the popular, trio named would 

 count five to one of all other plants put together in our flower 

 garden. Next year I will take care that these other plants 



