354 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



would certainly plant at the earliest possible moment in the autumn ; but, 

 on the other hand, if I were sure that we should experience a hard winter, 

 followed by a genial spring, I would defer the planting till then. The 

 ground should be prepared some time before it is intended to plant, 

 and the place for each shrub marked by a stake or label, so that no 

 delay may occur when the plants arrive. In planting a shrub, a hole 

 should be taken out of sufficient size to comfortably admit all the roots ; 

 any broken or damaged pieces should be pruned back on the under 

 side, but care should be taken to retain all the fibrous roots possible, 

 as on these depend the life of the plant. Spread all the roots out evenly, 

 and begin to fill in, by working the finest soil round the roots first, 

 pressing firmly as the work proceeds, but never make the soil so hard 

 that water cannot pass freely through. Some difference of opinion exists 

 as to the depth a shrub should be planted, but it is certain that this 

 should never be done deeply. If the roots are near the surface, they 

 quickly emit new rootlets, owing to the greater warmth, but if buried some 

 distance beneath the surface, where the heat of the sun cannot reach 

 them, they make but slow progress, and there is a danger of the soil 

 becoming sour if active growth does not soon begin. Certainly, in a 

 heavy soil, it is a less fault to plant a tree or shrub too high than it 

 is to bury part of the stem. If the planting is done in the spring and a 

 warm dry spell follows, a mulching of long litter, decayed leaves, or 

 old soil is of great assistance and frequently saves the life of a shrub at a 

 critical period. If a mulching is given it keeps the soil underneath 

 moist, and no watering is necessary, as the roots are not in a condition 

 to take up a lot of moisture, a spraying over the branches being far 

 more effective. 



In the case of standard shrubs a support should be given, so that 

 they are not disturbed by the wind, but the stake must not be driven in 

 so near to the stem as to injure any large roots. Care must also be 

 taken not to secure the stem too tightly to its support, for if this is done 

 with string much harm may follow when the bark begins to swell. 

 Shrubs are often injured, or even killed, by having string tightly bound 

 round them. 



■ The preparation of the ground for Ericaceous plants where they do 

 not thrive naturally needs special attention, and, as everyone knows, these 

 will not succeed where lime is abundant in the soil. If the soil is uncon- 

 genial, it should be taken out to a good depth, and a mixture of peat, sand, 

 and decayed leaf-mould substituted if possible ; but this is not always 

 available, and many plants of this class will grow equally well in turfy 

 loam, with a good proportion of decayed leaves and sand. Many 

 rhododendrons, of the Ponticum section especially, will flourish in heavy 

 loam or even clay, providing it is well broken up beforehand, so that the 

 absence of peat in the soil need not deter anyone from using many 

 beautiful Ericaceous plants. 



Pruning. 



Although this is a most important part of the cultivation of flowering 

 shrubs, and affects them just as much as good or bad pruning affects a 

 fruit tree, it is, generally speaking, but imperfectly understood, and much 



