SPOILING SHRUBBERIES. 



57 



mulching (covering) of strawy manure, half-decayed leaves, spent tan, cocoa-nut 

 fibre refuse, or even fine dry soil applied after a heavy rainfall or a soaking of 

 water, will, by arresting evaporation, prove of great benefit to large and small trees 

 alike. 



Most shrubberies are planted somewhat thickly at first for immediate efi'ect, the 

 intention being to thin out freely before the shrubs spoil each other. If this 

 thinning out were done according to original intentions there would be far more 

 perfect shrubberies to be met with than at present. In too many instances the 

 thinning is either neglected altogether or carried out in a half-hearted manner ; as 

 a consequence, nothing short of a very free use of the knife or pruning shears prevents 

 the commoner species overgrowing the choicer and less vigorous kinds, and a reign 

 of general confusion setting in. It is often difficult to know which to remove 

 and which to leave, but, if properly arranged in the first place, there need be no 

 hesitation about the matter of thinning. Those which are to be permanent ought 

 to be first planted in sites intended for them, marked by tall stakes, smaller 

 stakes denoting where trees or shrubs (which may be of cheaper kinds) are to be 

 temporarily planted. The proper space, or about what a well-grown tree or shrub 

 would eventually occupy, should be allotted each that is intended to be permanent, 

 and if their exact positions were marked on a plan, the thinning would be greatly 

 simplified. Conifers, in particular, ought to have ample room, the stronger growers 

 frequently attaining to a diameter of 20 feet, those of the Cupressus Lawsoniana type 

 rather less, retinosporas and other Japanese species requiring the least room. When 

 common laurels, aucubas, hollies, golden elders, privet, and inexpensive kinds 

 are planted as supernumeraries, as they may well be, these can either be gradually 

 cut away (as the permanent kinds require more room) or transplanted elsewhere. 

 The sites for deciduous trees, flowering or otherwise, to be grown as standards dotted 

 among the shrubs, should also be specially marked by tall stakes well driven down, 

 these remaining, and the trees secured to them. 



In some gardens a rather pleasing feature is made by trimming shrubs, more or less, 

 so that they do not intermingle. They may then form an efi'ective background to roses, 

 stocks and other sweet flowers, as in the enjoyable old-time garden of Mr. H. Y. Machin, 

 J.P., Gateford Hill, Worksop, shown on the next page. 



Deciduous trees and shrubs, which are naturally divested of their leaves when 

 planted, have not infrequently very long young branches, while the roots have been, 



VOL. I. I 



