AMERICAN GARDEN. 



743 



rooting trees ; while the barely covered rocks, 

 or rocky debris, would be found fit stations for 

 such as prefer a dry soil, and whose roots love 

 to run near the surface. The Ledums and An- 

 dromedas, which naturally grow on tussocks of 

 vegetable matter little elevated above the water's 

 level, could be artifically accommodated with 

 dry seats, while their roots could descend into 

 the semi-fluid bog below. A meandering rill of 

 water should run through the bottom of such a 

 ravine, bordered with rocky or grassy banks, 

 along which also the principal walks should be 

 carried, with branch walks of a less important 

 character winding by easy gradients, or occa- 

 sionally furnished with stone steps, and leading 

 through the groups of shrubs in such lines as 

 would show here and there the whole, or such 

 parts as possess any particular feature, or even 

 individual groups or single specimens of more 

 than ordinary interest. Such we consider would 

 be the beau ideal of an American garden. 



The American garden is not unfrequently 

 placed in sheltered glades in woods where the 

 soil is moist, and the dampest part of the plea- 

 sure-grounds is equally suitable ; and where no 

 regular garden of this kind is attempted, the 

 majority of the trees and shrubs may be planted 

 so as to form the foreground of large shrub- 

 beries, or even plantations, so long as the roots 

 of the trees do not interfere with them. The side 

 of a lake, island, or margin of an artificial piece of 

 water, is also well suited for the purpose; while 

 open and exposed situations, and dry arid soils, 

 are the most unfavourable of all. And where 

 the means are of the most limited description, 

 a border behind a northern wall may be 

 adopted. 



The American garden can never be regarded 

 as complete, however rich it may be in the 

 genera, species, and varieties of trees and shrubs, 

 if it be wanting in a selection of the most inter- 

 esting of the herbaceous plants which form the 

 surface covering where such trees and shrubs 

 naturally exist. The various species of Ameri- 

 can ferns should be planted either in groups by 

 themselves, or scattered through the masses of 

 shrubs, intermixed with the taller-growing of the 

 rarest and most showy of the herbaceous plants 

 with which that country abounds, the edges of 

 the groups being filled with those of a lower 

 growth; while in sheltered corners the follow- 

 ing plants, not often met with in such gardens, 

 should be allowed to ramble into natural patches : 

 Cornus canadensis; Trientalis Americana; Galax 

 aphylla; Lophiola aurea; Hypoxis erecta; Ale- 

 tris farinosa, aurea; Zigadenus glaberrimus, 

 bracteatus; Uvularia; Smilacina; Narthecium; 

 Xerophyllum; Trillium; Helonias; Gaultheria; 

 Mitchella ; Calopogon ; Arethusa ; Pogonia ; 

 Calypso; Nuttallia; Sabbatia; Houstonia. The 

 species and varieties of Dodecatheon, and the 

 following : Androsace carinata, linearis ; Ane- 

 mone Hudsoniana, Nuttalliana; Coptis trifolia; 

 Sanguinaria canadensis ; Jeffersonia diphylla ; 

 Spigelia Marylandica ; Pachysandra procum- 

 bens ; the American Pyrolas ; Dielytra formosa, 

 eximia, canadensis ; Cypripedium parviflorum, 

 pubescens, spectabile, album, candidum, arie- 

 tinum ; the American Habenarias ; Goodyera 



pubescens, tessellata; Neottia cernua, aestivalis, 

 &c. And in damper spots, Hydrocotyle Ameri- 

 cana, umbellata ; the American Gentians ; Par- 

 nassia asarifolia,caroliniana; Drosera Americana, 

 linearis ; Tofieldia pubescens, glutinosa, stenope- 

 tala ; with beds of the fruit-bearing Oxycoccus 

 macrocarpus, erythrocarpus; the singular genus 

 of Sarracenia, &c. And'in pools formed where 

 a brook of water flows through the ground, or 

 in a small pond, should be found Menyanthes 

 Americana; Villarsia cordata, lacunosa; Ponte- 

 deria cordata, angustifolia ; Alisma lanceolata, 

 parviflora ; Saururus lucidus ;.Caltha biflora,lepto- 

 sepala, parnassifolia, fiabellifolia; Nymphsea odo- 

 rata; Nuphar advena, Kalmiana,. sagittae folia, 

 &c. ; with Yucca gloriosa, acuminata, serrulata, 

 glaucescens, recurva, to give an exotic character 

 to the whole. 



Soil. — A soil abounding in, or almost entirely 

 composed of, decayed vegetable matter, with a 

 due portion of sand, is a very fit one for Ameri- 

 can plants in general. Where the natural soil 

 consists of a peat bog, thorough-drainage is the 

 first operation, that superfluous water may be 

 carried off ; and as such peaty soils contain only 

 a small amount of sand, that important ingre- 

 dient must be added, to the extent of from one- 

 fourth to one-half, and thoroughly amalgam- 

 ated. Where the soil is not surcharged with 

 water, drainage is still necessary, and the beds 

 may be slightly elevated towards the centre. 

 Where beds have to be made artificially, the 

 natural soil should be excavated to the depth of 

 2 feet, excepting for particular trees, such as 

 the magnolia, &c, which require a greater 

 depth — the bottom loosened up to admit of 

 filtration ; and the imported peaty soil, after 

 being dug up for some months, mixed with the 

 due proportion of sand, well exposed to the 

 weather, and frequently turned over, should be 

 brought and laid in the beds. Under other 

 circumstances, when heath mould can be pro- 

 cured — that is, such as our native heaths thrive 

 in, and are found upon — it forms of itself the 

 best of all soils, and should be taken off to the 

 depth of 3 or 4 inches, laid up in heaps, turning 

 the vegetable productions inward, and allowed 

 so to remain for six months, when it may be 

 chopped down, and brought forward to fill the 

 beds, choosing dry weather for the operation. 

 The best description of peat soil is constituted 

 as follows : Of 400 parts, 156 are fine silicious 

 sand, 2 unaltered vegetable fibre, 110 decom- 

 posing vegetable matter, 1 02 silica (or flint), 1 6 

 alumina (or clay), 4 oxide of iron, 4 soluble vege- 

 table and saline matter, 4 muriate of lime, 2 loss. 

 Where neither peat soil nor heath mould is 

 readily obtained, then recourse must be had to 

 substitutes ; but even then a portion of these pri- 

 mary soils will be found to be of great advantage. 

 The substitutes are, vegetable mould of decayed 

 tree-leaves; tanners' bark, when the vegetable 

 structure is completely broken down by fermen- 

 tation and decay; and an equivalent of river- 

 sand, or pounded sandstone, to lighten and 

 sharpen the whole. In soils so composed, Ame- 

 rican plants have been grown to great perfection. 

 Annual top-dressings are, however, necessary, as, 

 on account of the natural decay of such matters. 



