340 THE FLORIST AND 



I prefer half-decayed leaves— where these could not he had I would use 

 stahle manure. The former spread over the soil two inches thick, or the 

 latter one inch — would form a dressing which in ordinary cases should last 

 two or three years. It is difficult to get flowers to do- well in even the* most 

 favorable soil, if it is liable to hold water to stagnation in winter. Where 

 flower gardens or beds exist under such circumstances, advantage should be 

 taken of the present season to have it thoroughly underdrained. It will be 

 more beneficial in the end than the most judicious manuring; it is indeed in 

 itself a powerful means of fertilizing the soil. Where circumstances render 

 the draining of such places inconvenient, a temporary advantage can be 

 gained by digging up the soil at this season very roughly, so as to expose 

 as much as possible to the action of the frost. This is at best but putting a 

 patch on an old garment — an apology for the want of means to do better. 



The planting of trees will still continue to engage our attention at every 

 favorable opportunity. Many prefer at this season to remove trees in the 

 winter by the "frozen ball" system. There is nothing gained by this prac- 

 tice. To those unacquainted with this mode of planting, I may as well de- 

 scribe it. Just before frost is expected, a trench is dug around a tree a few 

 feet from its base, leaving the tree so, that with a rope at the top, it can be 

 easily drawn over. A hole is then dug for it in the situation desired. When 

 the "ball" has become frozen through around the tree, it is removed to the 

 prepared hole ; and, when a thaw comes, the soil is filled in around it. I 

 have said there is nothing gained by it, and there are many disadvantages. 

 Jf the tree has been removed a "time or two" before, as most nursery trees 

 have, it will have an abundance of fibres near the stem,' and can be succes- 

 i'ully removed without much regard to the "ball of earth" either in fall or 

 spring. If it has never been removed before, that is a tree growing natu- 

 rally, it will have no fibres at its base, and so no "ball of earth" can pre- 

 serve them, so that a tree which can be moved successfully on this freezing 

 system, can be as successfully done without it. The disadvantages of it are 

 that it exposes the injured roots for a long time to the injurious action of the 

 frost and the elements, besides the frequency of the operation being impro- 

 perly done by several attempts being made at its completion. I have given 

 the system a fair trial, and have done with it. The main object should be 

 to preserve^all the roots possible with the tree, keep them moist and preserve 

 from injury, then go-a-head and don't wait for frost. 



Green House. — I have very few remarks to offer under this head in ad- 

 dition to what I made last month. Watering, airing, and preserving from 

 insects, occupying most of a gardener's spare time at this season. Growth 



