PLANTING. 



373 



there would not be during the winter months, 

 but which is beginning again to be the case in 

 April. " Add to this, that about the end of 

 April and the beginning of May, we have fre- 

 quently warm showers, which, to shrubs of this 

 description, are extremely beneficial, and are 

 always much better for vegetation than water, 

 however well it may be artificially applied. 

 The reason assigned for planting evergreens in 

 August and September is, that they have made 

 their shoots, and, if carefully done, will make 

 fresh roots and become tolerably established 

 before winter. Experience proves these seasons 

 to be the best for transplanting these plants, 

 and upon an extensive scale, and in exposed 

 situations, we would advise the adoption of it. 

 At the same time, circumstances may warrant 

 their removal at almost any day in the year. 

 Evergreens are extremely fond of shelter and 

 of moderate shade ; and it is probably the want 

 of these that is the principal cause of the failure 

 of these plants when removed at seasons when 

 there is a long continuance of cutting winds, 

 without any rain. In our practice at Strat- 

 ton Park [Hampshire] we implanted 50,000 

 evergreens in one season, beginning in Novem- 

 ber and ending in February. Circumstances 

 led to our planting at this season. The soil, for 

 the most part, was of a strong clayey nature, 

 and by no means favourable for plants in gene- 

 ral ; still, the success here was complete, inas- 

 much as out of that number not 200 plants 

 died. The plants were brought a distance of 

 twenty miles, and were from 2 to 3 feet high. We 

 attribute the success in this instance to the 

 shade which the plants enjoyed in summer and 

 the shelter during the first winter after plant- 

 ing, as they were planted partly in very old 

 plantations and partly in young ones, in both 

 cases well sheltered and shaded." 



The majority of sensible planters prefer the 

 months of April, May, September, October, and 

 November for transplanting evergreens, and this 

 latitude is given because one month, from the 

 state of the weather, may be better one year 

 than in another. The ground temperature, in 

 properly drained soil — say in the vicinity of 

 London— is calculated to be in November 47°, 

 and this is a very good root temperature for 

 such plants to be placed in, and in such they 

 will speedily strike root, which is the great ob- 

 ject to secure. 



Of all trees and shrubs requiring support from 

 the effects of wind, &c, none require it more 

 than evergreens that have been recently trans- 

 planted, as they present so large a surface of 

 foliage at all seasons, and are consequently 

 more liable to constant oscillation than those 

 that are deciduous. When this is not guarded 

 against, the young roots are prevented from 

 taking hold of the soil around them, and the 

 ball which accompanied them becomes sepa- 

 rated from the surrounding earth ; interstices 

 are formed, into which rain first and frost after- 

 wards enters, both equally injurious to the 

 young and tender fibres ; while in spring the 

 parching winds would penetrate and prove 

 equally injurious : they therefore require 

 particular attention in this respect. Many 

 VOL. II. 



modes have been recommended, but the parti- 

 cular mode is of far less consequence than that 

 it is properly done by one or other ; for much 

 of the success of transplanting depends on this 

 being effectually accomplished. 



Next in importance to supporting evergreens 

 after transplanting, is that of watering them ; 

 and if the operation be carried on late in spring 

 or during summer, the equally important pre- 

 caution of shading them, not only from the 

 effects of bright sunshine, but also from the 

 still more evaporating effects of dry, cold, cut- 

 ting winds, should not be disregarded. It is 

 not the quantity of water actually given a newly 

 planted tree, but the way in which it is applied, 

 that is the chief point to be considered. In- 

 deed, we believe that more harm is done by 

 excessive watering at the roots by some, than 

 by a deficiency of it in others ; and this the 

 more so if the water is taken from wells, which, 

 if not of more than ordinary depth, are always 

 much colder than the soil surrounding the roots. 

 Eiver or pond water should be chosen, and that 

 applied frequently, and in small quantities at a 

 time. If large doses of cold spring water are 

 applied to the roots of newly planted trees, the 

 temperature of the soil is lowered, the vital 

 energies of the roots are paralysed at the very 

 time they require the utmost amount of excite- 

 ment, to enable them to recover the injuries 

 sustained during the process of removal by the 

 rapid formation of new roots and spongiolets, 

 which is their first effort ; and everything, there- 

 fore, to assist them in the formation of these 

 should be carefully attended to. Indeed, it is 

 by no means going too far to say, that it were 

 far better to apply water at the roots under such 

 circumstances at 100° than at 35°— a tempera- 

 ture by no means uncommon in spring water 

 during winter and early spring. Syringing over 

 the tops has a most beneficial effect upon all 

 trees, particularly evergreen ones, and this should 

 be applied two or three times during the day. 

 Shading from the sun in bright days lessens the 

 evaporation, which would otherwise be going 

 on in the foliage ; and shelter from drying 

 winds not only counteracts this in an eminent 

 degree, but also maintains an increased tempera- 

 ture around them ; and increase of temperature 

 to the foliage, although less exciting than at the 

 roots, has much to do with the successful results 

 of planting. The best shading for such pur- 

 poses is thin canvass, called by manufacturers 

 screen-cloth, because, while it bi'eaks the force 

 of the wind, it admits light in a modified form 

 to the plants ; for exclusion of light, at a period 

 when every aid man has at his command should 

 be given to afford increased excitement to the 

 roots, would be as bad as leaving them exposed 

 altogether. In giving water at the roots, it is 

 of little use to pour it around the stem, although 

 we every day see due preparation made for this, 

 by the formation of basins scooped out of the 

 soil, and close to the trunk of the tree : whereas, 

 to be of any utility, whatever precaution is made 

 for preventing the waste of water, it should be 

 immediately over where the young roots and 

 spongioles are forming, which will only be 

 around the circumference of the ball removed, 



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