412 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 21, 1872. 



come round next year. All the rest have made fresh shoots 

 ■with fine buds. Singularly enough, the one tree that does not 

 look so flourishing as the others was one of the largest, and 

 we thinned the head considerably, so as to proportion it to 

 the crushed and cut-off roots. The majority of the most pro- 

 mising trees now had not a branch or twig taken away. We do 

 uot Like cutting-back large trees when transplanting them. "We 

 prefer thinning-out the twigs and branches, so that the points 

 may remain much the same as before, and less strain be put on 

 the necessarily broken roots. 



For years we have felt that, in ordinarily favourable circum- 

 stances, much even of this thinning-out was a mistake. Being 

 pressed for time, we did not thin the heads of these trees a little 

 as we intended doing, resolving to cut out a few twigs with a 

 ladder afterwards. Now, we are glad we did nothing of the 

 sort, as before the end of next summer we presume most of the 

 trees will be so much at home as to show no signs of trans- 

 planting. 



In their case we made no previous preparation, but took up 

 carefully, tracing-out and preserving the roots; we should have 

 succeeded even better, only the two-wheeled large timber-gig 

 we used ought to have had 2 or 3 feet more between the wheels, 

 so as^to afford more room for the extending roots. We moved 

 these large trees in March, and besides the careful raising, 

 packing, and staking, there was no extraordinary trouble in- 

 volved. Several times when we thought of watering them a 

 heavy rain came and saved us all the labour. If we could have 

 moved them, say in the first days of a November like this, we 

 should have counted on more success still, as every fibre saved 

 would have been surcharged with moisture. 



As regards moving such large trees we may first observe, as 

 the soil was poorer than that in which the trees were growing, 

 we gave each tree about a cartload of good soil that came from 

 our potting benches, &c. In the next place we secured every 

 tree by three poles — in fact young Larch trees thinned out, and 

 nothing could be better — so that the strongest wind could not 

 break the finest new fibres of the roots. We made no holes for 

 these poles, and made no points to them. We just took them 

 as they were, with the butt or big end downwards, and we 

 placed each of the rough ends a foot or so beneath the surface, 

 and some 4 or 6 feet from the tree, the base abutting against the 

 firm soil, and the small end of each brought to the stem of the 

 tree at 6 to 9 feet from the ground. No driving of poles is 

 required. No plan we know is more simple or more effectual. 

 Let the wind roar and rage, the tree and the three supports 

 must all go together before the tree or its roots can suffer. In 

 this case the effectiveness depends on the simplicity. When 

 the ground is very loose a piece of board or a brick will pre- 

 vent the base of the supporters moving. Be it observed that by 

 this simple mode we need no pointing of stakes, no malieting, 

 &c. The base of the three stakes abutting against the firm soil, 

 and the heads being brought to the stem of the tree, the whole 

 arrangement makes the tree like a Btrong tower that cannot be 

 moved. 



After such rains, whenever the weather clears up we shall 

 have a fine season for transplanting. It is of little use entering 

 into the economy of the transplanting. We believe that it would 

 be cheapest some thirty years hence to turn out good nursery 

 plants now ; but then for present effect it is often desirable to 

 transplant trees of from twenty to thirty or more years' growth, 

 and if well done an effect is often thus produced at once instead 

 of waiting years for it. 



We have in our experience tried all modes, preparing trees 

 and shrubs the season before ; but after all we have rarely suc- 

 cseded better than when we took the plants up at once, tracing 

 out the roots and packing them nicely. In transplanting large 

 trees and shrubs now, much of the watercart deluging the soil 

 is a mistake. If the weather should be dry, damp and water 

 the roots before planting, otherwise the soil will generally be 

 moist enough. Bear in mind that the wetter you make the soil 

 the colder it will be, and the less the encouragement given to 

 fresh rooting. — R. F. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



H. Cannell, Station Road, Woolwich, S.E. — Catalogue of 

 Florists' Flowers. 



Robertson & Galloway, -157, Ingram Street, Glasgow, and 

 Helensburgh. — Catalogue of Roses, Rhododendrons, Gladioli, 

 Liliums, d-c. 



F. & A. Dickson & Sons, 106, Eastgate Street, and Upton Nur- 

 series, Chester. — Catalogue of Forest Trees, Hardy Ornamental 

 Trees and Shrubs, &c. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Hyacinth Boots in Glasses Destroyed (A Winter Gardener). — We 

 cannot account for the hartshorn destroying the roots. It is not unlikely 

 that it may have been the cause if there was no leaf-growth. We only recom- 



mend others to practise as we do ourselves ; and we not only employ spirits 

 of hartshorn when the plants are growing, but every time the water is changed 

 — two drops to a large glass, or one drop if small, dropping it on a piece of 

 charcoal. Are you sure it was spirits of hartshorn ? 



Compost for Liltum auratum and L. spectcsum (An Old Subscriber). 

 — Two parts fibrous loam light rather than heavy, one part sandy peat, half 

 a part old cow dung or well-rotted manure, one part leaf soil, and a sixth of 

 silver sand, and the same of charcoal. Chop up the loam and peat moderately 

 small, and add the other ingredients, thoroughly mixing. Drain the pots 

 efficiently. The sooner they are potted, after this the better. Both Liliums 

 succeed in the same compost. 



Geraniums for Cut Blooms (Reader). — Tor producing good trusses of 

 bloom for cutting we consider young plants preferable to old ones cut back. 

 The young plauts afford the finest trusses and flower, the old plants produce 

 them more freely and earlier. The aim being to secure large trusses and 

 blooms, it is better to grow the plants to flower when required, allow them to 

 bloom themselves out, and have others to supply their place; but the old 

 plants, after a rest of sis or eight weeks, if cut down and started again, would 

 have flowers little inferior to those of young plants. 



Weights of Apples and Pears (H. W. R.).— The newspaper you quote 

 must have omitted to state the fact that the weights were not those of single 

 specimens but of the dish of six. If you refer to our number of November 7th 

 you will find the weights of the heaviest dishes and the kinds. 



Stove for Greenhouse (J. H. Y.). — There is no stove nor fuel that can 

 be employed among plants that will not injure them, unless the stove has a 

 chimney of some sort to carry away into the open air the smoke or gases 

 caused by combustion. (E. G. <?.). — We do not know the construction, there- 

 fore cannot say if it would get red hot. It must be very ineffective if it would 

 not heat so small a greenhouse. As it has a flue it would do no harm to the 

 plants unless these were too near to it. 



Preserving the Colour of Leaves. — "Folium" wishes to know the 

 best way to preserve leaves which have at this time of year such beautiful 

 tints of red, yellow, and green. Our correspondent has varnished some, hut 

 the colour is entirely gone, and the leaves are a dead brown. 



Funkias (W. Crisp). — You can obtain plants through any nurseryman. 

 Seeds you will have to save for yourself. 



Roses for S.W. and W. Walls (A Constant Reader, Bradford). — Three 

 Dark. — Charles Lefebvre, Senateur "Vaisse, General Jacqueminot. Three 

 Light. — Baroness Bothschild, Boule de Neige, Acidalie. Three Medium. — 

 John Hopper, Mad. Clemence Joigueux, Mad. Charles Crapelet. All the above 

 will cover walls with proper care and attention, though none of them is strictly 

 a climber. The best climbers are Gloire de Dijon, Marechal Niel, and Climb- 

 ing Devoniensis. The first-named succeeds in almost any situation, the two 

 latter require a warmer aspect. None of the climbers proper, as the Bour- 

 saults and others, have well-formed flowers. Some of the Noisettes, as La 

 Biche, Lamarque, and especially Celine Forestier — the first two light, the 

 second, yellow — are worth growing ; they are not sufficiently hardy, however, 

 except in the south, for trelliswork. 



Hot-water Pipes (A Young Gardener). — Tour case is quite an exceptional 

 one. In general the highest pipe is the flow. In two or three cases we have 

 had it different for particular purposes. The return to the boiler was the 

 same. In your case we would stop the flow, but in such an arrangement you 

 so far lose power. If you gave us an outline of the course of the pipeB we 

 would advise you better. In several cases we have made the lower pipe the 

 flow, but it is neither natural nor economical, and the expense was greater. 



Plants in Smael Conservatory (W. H. B.). — For a small house we think 

 that the directions in our "Window Gardening" would just suit you. If 

 you tell us the size of the place we shall be glad to advise you. In the mean- 

 time you will find there pretty well all you want, and it can be had from our 

 Office per post for Wd. 



Apple and Pear Stocks (Young Gardener). — In your letter you write 

 "Queen," we presume you mean Quince. The Quince is the stock used to 

 graft the Pear upon; it causes the tree to assume a dwarf character, and the 

 roots do not penetrate the ground deeply like those of the Pear, but spread 

 out near the surface. This stock is readily propagated by cuttings ; plant 

 them in the present or next month in the open ground. The French Paradise 

 stock is that which you should grow to graft the Apple upon ; it is also pro- 

 pagated by layers or cuttings like the Quince, and has a similar effect upon 

 the Apple to that the Quince has upon the Pear. You may either bud or graft. 

 Budding is performed in August, and grafting in spring just after the buda 

 break. The grafts should be cut from the trees some time before being used ; 

 they can be laid in the ground until the stocks are ready. Bud or graft close 

 to the surface of the ground. The Crab stock is simply the wild Apple, and 

 is raised from pips; it is the preferable stock when the trees are required for 

 orchard planting, or wherever they are intended to grow of a large size. 



Carbolic Acid to Paint Fruit Trees (J. D. B.). — We think the mixture 

 of lime, sulphur, and soft soap would destroy the larvse of any insects on 

 your trees. We do not know what effect mixing a portion of carbolic acid 

 with it would have, or whether it would be injurious to the buds; we do not 

 think it would injure the old wood. Now is the best time to apply it. Could 

 you not try it to a limited extent and report to us? 



Pomegranate Treatment (A Lady in Cheshire). — You do not say what 

 has been the treatment of your plant, nor whether it is in a pot or planted 

 out. We presume it is in a pot, in which case it should be grown in a green- 

 house, or, better still, a vinery whichi s started about March, assigning it a 

 light and airy position, and pottingt n spring, when it begins to grow, in a 

 compost of light rich loam, with a little sandy peat and leaf soil, giving only 

 a moderate shift, and removing most of the old soil. The flowering depends 

 on the ripening of the wood, therefore the plant should have full exposure to 

 light after a good growth has been made, with no more water than that 

 required to keep the leaves from falling prematurely. In winter keep it dry, 

 and prune in spring ; leave a good number of the twigs on which the flowers 

 are for the most part produced, and shorten the long shoots to the firm 

 wood. A temperature of 40 D to 45° is suitable. If yours is the double- 

 flowering variety, it should be grafted, then it flowers more freely than on its 

 own roots. 



Herbaceous Plants from Seed (Idem). — Alyssum saxatile compactum, 

 Anemones, Antirrhinums, Aquilegia caryophylloides, A. calif ornica, and 

 A. glandulosa; Arabis alpina, Aubrietia gneca, A. purpurea, Alpine Auriculas, 

 Campanula carpatica, Carnations, Centauridium Drummondi, Delphinium 

 formosum, D. grandiflorum cselestinum, Digitalises, Geum coccineuni, 

 Fiench Honeysuckle, Lathyrus latifolius, Lupinus polyphyllus, Lychnis 



