236 HINTS ON POTTING AND PLANTING. 
action of the atmosphere, necessarily receives a larger and more constant supply !• 
than it would if the soil in which the roots grew were subjected to the agency of 
evaporation ; and hence its developments will be unnaturally increased. In regard 
to fruit or flower-bearing species, the injury produced by such a circumstance is 
strikingly obvious ; exuberance of growth being invariably inimical to fertility. j 
With trees, however, the mischief may not be quite so apparent. Still, extravagant 
development generally begets disease, and always proves in some degree destructive 
to symmetry and beauty. 
A damage of a peculiar nature is sustained by exotic plants that are at all 
tender, from having their roots too deeply buried in the soil. Besides being 
rendered less prolific, and having their blooming propensities converted into grow- 
ing ones, their shoots, by being so luxuriant and full of fluid, are never thoroughly 
matured, and therefore suffer from the slightest frost, and are frequently killed ere 
the close of the winter. It is thus that many persons, thinking to protect the 
roots by plant'ng them deeply, occasion the partial or total loss of the branches. 
Deep planting is, consequently, detrimental in every case ; but more harmful 
to flowering or fruiting plants than to forest trees, and still more so to species that 
are not perfectly hardy. Nevertheless, people are in the habit of committing this 
error, either heedlessly or from one of two or three reasons which we shall now 
explain and refute. 
The most common motive for planting specimens deeper than they ought to be 
planted, is that they may not be blown about by wind, or require artificial support. 
It is properly assumed that any kind of stake applied to a plant is objectionable 
where it can be dispensed with, on account of being displeasing to the eye. Yet, 
the old adage, that of two evils the least should be chosen, is applicable here as 
well as in more important things ; especially as the trifling evil of staking is of 
short duration, while that of deep planting is constantly becoming worse, and 
ceases only with the existence of the plant. It is thus demonstrable that to plant 
deeply with the view of avoiding support by stakes, is erroneous in the extreme. 
Another and strong inducement to plant too deeply is the avoidance of drought. 
Specimens whose roots lie near the surface are, it is presumed, more likely to be 
injured by dryness in summer, than those which are able to draw moisture from 
lower and more certain sources. And, on a superficial glance at the question, this 
assumption has considerable weight. Drought, however, is a condition which can 
be easily remedied the first season, and will not probably occur afterwards, since 
the roots will naturally seek more secure resources ; while the disadvantages of 
deep planting are, as we have before said, permanent. Much as the truth may be 
doubted, there is ever more danger to be apprehended from unnecessary moisture than 
from drought, because the latter is neither so prejudicial nor so difficult to obviate. 
A third incentive to deep planting, is to protect the roots of plants that are in 
the least inclined to be tender from frost. It is forgotten, however, that by this pro- 
ceeding the vital part of the plant, which is the base of its stem, is made far more 
