32 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



the diameter 3ft. ; but in poor soil a hole 7ft. wide and 

 4^ft. deep is required. It is a great advantage when the hole 

 can be dug out several months in advance, and the soil left 

 exposed during that time to the beneficial influence of the air. 

 Before planting, all injured roots must be cut away with a 

 sharp knife, and the branches must be thinned out and pruned 

 in proportion, as the roots are taken off, imparting at the 

 same time a good shape to the crown. The tree must, if small, 

 be kept upright in the middle of the hole by a man holding 

 it, or when large by means of three ropes tied in the crown, 

 and held, stretched at equal distances, by three men. The roots 

 should be covered with fine soil, this being well rammed in 

 between them with a pointed stick in order not to leave any 

 cavities. The hole must be filled to the height at which the 

 tree used to be, allowing for the sinking of the soil. Some trees, 

 Poplars and Willows for instance, ought to be planted deeper 

 than they were before. Previous to planting, a strong stake must 

 be driven into the middle of the hole to prevent the tree from 

 being shaken by the wind ; if it were driven in after planting, 

 some of the roots would be injured. Very large trees are kept 

 in position by three well-stretched wires fastened to the crown, 

 and secured to three strong pegs planted at equal distances. 

 During the first year after planting, in order to protect the trunk 

 from the scorching sun, it can be covered from the ground to 

 the lower branches with a coating of long straw or with reeds. 

 During the summer, if the weather is dry, all the new plantations 

 must be well watered. 



American plants, such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Kalmias, 

 and i\ndromedas, are, as a rule, grown close to the house. They 

 delight in a peaty soil, though one may sometimes see Rhodo- 

 dendrons doing well in loam. The bed intended for such 

 plants is excavated a foot deep, and the bottom of the ground 

 is covered by a layer 2in. or 3in. thick of coarse gravel or brick 

 rubbish. This will serve to provide drainage, and will isolate 

 the peat from the natural ground, preventing it from getting 

 sour, and keeping the worms off. This layer is covered with 

 clods of peat, coarsely broken, and all the roots are put at the 

 bottom. The coarser the peat, the better do the plants prosper 

 in it. The bed is rounded, and the total thickness of the peat 

 is about T^ft., of which 9in. is above the soil. When small 

 plants are inserted that depth is not necessary. Rhododendrons 

 must be planted in March, the tallest being placed at the 



