THE FLORAL 'WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
2G9 
growing temperature ; but give air rather freely, and avoid keeping 
too warm, until the buds start into growth, otherwise they will be 
apt to break thinly. Good rich fibry peat, and sandy turfy loam, in 
the proportion of three parts of the former to one of the latter, forms 
a suitable compost for these plants. The peat and loam should be 
carefully broken up, and well intermixed with a liberal proportion 
of silver sand, to ensure the free percolation of water through the 
soil after the decay of the fibre. Cuttings of half ripe pieces of the 
young wood root freely in a sharp bottom-heat, and soon form use- 
ful sized plants. 
NOTES ON TRANSPLANTING. 
fflg^g^TJTUMN is at hand, and planting will soon be com- 
1&7 JjEi fjl nienced. A considerable experience as a landscape 
W O' gardener assures me that good practical knowledge on 
the subject does not generally obtain among those most 
interested in the results. If this, and the succeeding 
papers which I purpose writing on the subject, should in any way 
remedy that, I shall be pleased. Professional men are, I believe, 
pretty well agreed as to the best time and mode of transplanting ; 
and there are many excellent treatises from which, as far as prin- 
ciples are concerned, the amateur may glean the best advice, but 
while principles alone are of the highest value to the initiated, they 
often prove stumbling-blocks to the mere novice. To benefit him 
those principles must be illustrated, both in the rule and in the ex- 
ception. I hope to do that. 
As a general rule, the best season in which to transplant trees 
and shrubs is the autumn, from the last week in September till the 
same period in November. Evergreens especially should, if pos- 
sible, be removed then. Of course, they may be safely planted at 
other periods ; in fact, there is scarcely a month in the year in 
which evergreens, under certain conditions, may not be transplanted 
Avith perfect success ; but, as a general rule, and in all operations of 
magnitude, some time between the periods named above should be 
chosen. Deciduous plants should be removed between the decay of 
the leaf in autumn, and the swelling of the bud in spring. So soon 
as the leaf begins to fade, is, however, the best time for the opera- 
tion ; but, as in the case of evergreens, the rule admits of many 
exceptions. These will be noticed in due course. 
Of the comparative advantage of different periods of the year 
for removing evergreens, the following will furnish good examples. 
A year or two since a large number of shrubs and trees, principally 
evergreens, was removed under my directions. Circumstances which 
I had no influence over rendered it imperative that the operation of 
transplanting should be tardily proceeded with. In fact, the work 
was begun in the middle of August, and was hardly finished in the 
succeeding May. Every week during this long period, when the 
weather would allow, some shrubs were transplanted. I watched 
September. 
