DEVOTED TO 



^^'^^JtB^ioii:oAy^—^ SEPTEMBER, 1867. 



VOL. IX. -IfO. 9. 



Ifinh for ^i^imM, 



PLOWER-GARDEBI AND FLEASUHE- 

 G-ROUr^D. 



Where there is likely to be a great dea' of plant- 

 ing done, and only a limited number of hands em- 

 ployed, planting may commence early in the month. 

 What leaves remain on should be stripped off, and 

 the main roots shortened. They will then do 

 better than if planted very late. In fact, if plant- 

 ing cannot be finished before the beginning of No- 

 vember in the Northern and Middle States, it is 

 better as a rule, deferred till spring. In those 

 States where little frost occurs, this rule will not 

 apply. The roots of plants grow all winter, and a 

 plant set out in the fall has this advantage over 

 spring-set trees, that its roots in spring are in a 

 position to supply the tree at once with food. This 

 is, indeed, the theory fall planters rely on ; but in 

 practice it is found that severe cold dries up the 

 wood, and the frost draws out the roots, and thus 

 more than counterbalance any advantage from the 

 pushing of new fibres. Very small plants are, there- 

 fore, best left till spring for their final planting. 

 The larger things, and which we recommend plant- 

 ing in the fall, should be pruned in somewhat at 

 planting. The larger the tree, the greater in pro- 

 portion should it be cut away. 



Attention should be given at this season to the 

 flower-beds, by noting what has done well in your 

 locality as a summer-blooming plant, as no time 

 should be lost in procuring a stock for next year. — 

 The best way to propagate all the common kinds 

 of bedding plants is to take a frame or hand-glass 

 and set it on a bed of very sandy soil made in a 

 shady place in the open air. The sand should be 



fine and sharp, and thersis, perhaps, nothing better 

 than river sand for this purpose. The glass may be 

 whitewashed on the inside, so as to afford additional 

 security against injury from the sun's rays. Into 

 this bed ot sand, cuttings of half-ripened wood of 

 the desirable plants may be set, and after putting 

 in, slightly watered. Even very rare plants often 

 do better this way than when under treatment in a 

 regular propagating-house. In making cuttings, it 

 is best to cut the shoots just under a bud,— they 

 root better, and are not so likely to rot off and de. 

 cay. A cutting of about three eyes is long enough 

 for most strong-growing things, such as Greraniums, 

 Fuchsias, &c. 



Small-growing things, of course, will take more 

 buds to the one cutting. From one to three inches 

 is, however, long enough for most cuttings. They 

 should be inserted about one-third of their way 

 under the sand, which latter should be pressed 

 firmly against the row of cuttings with a flat piece 

 of board, — not, however, hard enough to force the 

 particles of sand into the young and tender bark, 

 which is often the first step to decay. For a few 

 cuttings, they may be inserted with a dibble ; but 

 where many are to be put in, it saves time to m.ark 

 a line on the sand with a rule or straight edge, and 

 then cut down a face into the sand, say one or two 

 inches deep, when the cuttings can be set against 

 the face like box-edging. All amateurs should 

 practice the art of propagating plants. There is 

 nothing connected with gardening more interesting. 



We have said a good deal about ornamental 

 hedges in past numbers ; but not, perhaps, as much 

 as the subject deserves. Not only do they make 

 the very best kind of boundary fences, and form in 

 themselves beautiful objects, but they have a great 

 use in small places in breaking off long and unin- 

 teresting scenery, and, by dividing perhaps one 

 grand view into innumerable parts, make a small 

 place seem very large indeed. 



We have often given the principles of successful 

 hedgipg, the main ones being to repress excessive 

 growth at the top by repeated summer pruning and 



