95 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[May if 1882. 
and which is unfortunately the one too frequently prac- 
tised, viz., that of digging a hole or pit so exceedingly 
email that the roots of the tree can with difiiculty be 
crammed into it. This method is infinitely worse than 
what is known as the f form of planting, which is 
sometimes practised on poor rocky soils in Scotland and 
elsewhere with tolerable success ; and where anything 
in the form of digging or trenching is out of the 
question. 
Trees planted in this way must necessarily be of 
comparatively small dimensions. The operation itself is 
exceedingly simple, and consists of the operator merely 
making a slit in the turf with his spade, and then in- 
serting the same at one end of the slit, at light angles 
■with it, and by pressing down the handle of the spade 
the slit will be forced to open more or less, when the 
assistant passes the roots of the tree into the opening 
thus made, and a slight amount of pressure with the 
foot is all that is required to steady the tree, care 
being taken to leave it in an upright position. By this 
methol an immense number of trees can be planted by 
a man and a boy in a comparatively short time. 
In cases where pits or holes are dug out for the 
reception of trees, the same should always be of con- 
siderable dimensions as regards width as well as depth, 
and corresponding, of course, with the size of the trees 
about to be planted, but always sufficiently large to 
admit of the roots of the plants being spread out to 
their full extent, and sufficiently deep to admit of a 
ortion of the best of the soil being placed in the 
ottom of the pit, in order to raise the bottom to the 
requisite height, and to allow the roots of the tree a 
portion of friable material into which to extend them- 
selves. 
But it is to the planting of trees in properly pre- 
pared soil — that is, in soil which has been drained and 
dug, or trenched, that these remarks are intended prin- 
cipally to apply. Too deep planting of trees on such 
prepared soil has been no doubt deservedly condemned ; 
but it is to be feared that some planters in their en- 
deavours to avoid Charybdis have fallen upon Scylla, 
and on some kinds of soil too shallow planting is as 
necessary to be avoided as too deep planting. On heavy 
and imperfectly drained land deep planting should by 
all possible means be avoided, and the trees may in 
such cases with advantage be planted on a slight mound, 
or slightly elevated above the level of the surrounding 
soil ; while on very light land the converse of this prac- 
tice should rather be followed, as in the event of con- 
tinuous dry weather setting in several inches of the 
surface of such soil becomes perfectly desiccated, and 
before the roots of recently planted trees can penetrate 
the soil to a greater depth, many of them must in- 
evitably perish. Many years ago we had occasion to 
know something of a large estate, a portion of which 
consisted of very light pcor land, and a considerable 
part of this about the time alluded to was being planted 
with forest trees of various kinds, chiefly Larch, and 
the planting of which was entrusted to an old trust- 
worthy man of great experience in such matters, whose 
invariable practice w-as to plant somewhat deeply, and 
in addition to this to form, as it were, a shallow basin 
round each tree, as is done in the light soil at Kew, 
thus securing for it as ample a share of the rainfall 
as was possible, or, at all events, to effectually prevent 
the same running from it during sudden or heavy falls 
of rain. This practice was generally attended with every 
success that could reasonably be expected, considering 
the nature of tl:o soil and the prevalence of ground 
game. But a change happened to 'occur in the manage- 
ment of the estate, and the new manager, or agent, 
charred to he one of those who fancy they have nothing 
to It urn, and who had possibly been accustomed to land 
of a different character. Ho lie demurred to this method 
of tree planting, declined to discuss the matter will 
the eld planter, and peremptorily ordered him lo plat 
as he (the agent) desired, which was accordingly done- 
The weather during the following spring months prov- 
ing dry, the result was in all respects a complete fail- 
ure. — Gardeners'' Chronicle. 
FLOWERS OR SHOOTS. 
In the Gardeners' Chronicle of January 7, there is a 
very interesting and suggestive extract from Count du 
Boyson, which I would like to notice. Gardeners very 
'well know that whether plants will flower profusely, 
sparingly, or not at all, depends to a great extent 0*11 
the state of maturation to which they have been brought 
previously. This is true alike of Apple trees, Rhodo- 
dendrons, or Orchids, and almost all flowering plants 
cultivated in gardens, as well in the open air as under 
glass. The idea that after flower buds .are formed they 
may be changed into leaf shoots is, to me, a new one, 
and so extraordinary that I venture to think some 
misinterpretation of the facts has occurred [and so do 
we]. We are all perfectly aware that when shoots, 
bulbs — what you will — of Dendrobes are imperfectly 
ripened, they in many instances, notoriously so in the 
case of T>. nohile, produce leaf-stems where flowers gener- 
ally appear. This results, as has generally been under- 
stood — and as I, for one, still believe — not because of 
any particular treatment the plants receive after the 
buds begin to grow, but because of the want of due 
exposure to the light the previous autumn. 
Many, very many, plants have the power of modifying 
then- manner of propagation according to the circum- 
stances under which they are placed. Common Leeks, 
for instance, in cold climates produce many miniature 
bulbs on the top of the flower-spikes instead of the seed 
which they form under more favourable circumstances ; 
not because of an extra supply of nutriment, but because 
of the want of enough light and heat. Other instances 
your readers will readily recall. The idea presented to 
me in the extract referred to is that a certain measure 
of starvation will make matters right. So far as regards 
plants growing under climatal conditions which we can- 
not modify, such is the only course left us, and has 
been pursued by us for many years ; for it i6 with this 
end in view that we have used grit in our fruit tree 
borders, and have employed loam without much manure, 
and have rammed it hard to prevent a too rapid taking 
up of even what limited supplies of food were available. 
And when I did feed it was by surface-dressings, which 
would encourage the roots to seek the sun-warmed food, 
so that no lowering of the temperature of the trees 
might occur through cold sap. All this I have done, 
and so far it agrees with what is hinted, excepting that 
we never dreamed that a wet spring w-ould change our 
blossom-buds into "leaf-shoots," although it might spoil 
the flowers that did form. 
It is, however, more particularly to house plants, and 
especially Orchids, that the Count refers. As we difler 
altogether from the opinion that extra supplies in spring 
do the mischief, we think that, generally speaking, any 
degree of starving should be avoided, because we have 
the climate of hot-houses in our own hands to a great 
extent. I by no means mean by this that Dendrobimns 
at all stages of their growth should be liberally sup- 
plied with water, either in the soil or the ah-, for such 
would certainly defeat our purpose if flowers were our 
aim. At the same time I think that it is not good to 
starve in any degree. The right thing in the case of 
Dendrobium nobile, and many other plants — Vines, for 
instance, is to start early in the season, so that the 
growth may be made up early, and fully matured under 
the influence of the sun ere yet the sun's beams have 
lost then- power to mature. No plant requires the same 
moisture at the root while ripening that it does while 
pusldng out shoots and leaves rapidly, and in many 
instances disaster will result if growing conditions are 
maintained for ripening plants, 
