442 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 19, 1885. 
sieve ; and the pnlp being allowed to settle, the water is gently poured 
off, and the pulp put into shallow vessels, in which it is gradually dried 
in the shade. After acquiring a proper consistency it is made into cylin¬ 
drical rolls or balls, and placed in an airy place to dry, after which it is 
sent to market. This is mod common in the English market, and is in 
the form of small rolls, each 2 or 3 ozs. in weight, hard, dry, and com¬ 
pact ; brownish without and red within. The other process of manufac¬ 
ture is that pursued in Cayenne. The pulp and seeds together are 
bruised in wooden vessels, and hot water poured over them ; they are 
then left to soak for several days, and afterwards passed through a close 
sieve to seperate the seeds. The matter is then left to ferment for about 
a week, when the water is gently poured off, and the solid part left to 
dry in the shade. When it has acquired the consistency of a solid paste 
it is formed into cakes of 3 or 4 lbs. weight, which are wrapped in the 
leaves of Arundo or Banana. This variety is of a bright yellow colour 
rather soft to the touch, and of considerable solidity. Labat informs us 
that the Indians prepare an Annotta greatly superior to that which is 
brought to us, of a bright shining red colour, almost equal to carmine. 
For this purpose, instead of steeping and fermenting the seeds in water, 
they rub them with the hands, previously dipped in oil, till the pulp 
comes off and is reduced to a clear paste, which is scraped off from the 
hands with a knife, and laid on a clean leaf in the shade to dry. Mixed 
with lemon juice and gum it makes the crimson paint with which Indians 
adorn their bodies; and they employ the leaves and roots in cookery to 
increase the flavour and give a saffron colour. 
Annotta is principally consumed by painters and dyers ; but it is also 
used in Cheshire, Gloucestershire, and North Wilts to colour cheese with 
the pale yellow or flesh colour which distinguishes that which is made in 
these districts, the makers in Cheshire using 8 dwts. to CO lbs. of cheese ; 
wnile those of Gloucestershire use 1 oz. to 1 cwt.—quantities which are 
too small to affect the cheese in any way except in colour. The Dutch 
use it for heightening the colour of their butter. It is used for the same 
purpose in some English dairies. 
PLANTING EVERGREENS AND FOREST TREES. 
Thousands at the present time are either engaged in or about 
to commence this operation, which cannot be regarded otherwise 
than one of the most important connected with gardening. The 
evil effects that result from planting injudiciously and bad man¬ 
agement of the plantation afterwards, is painfully visible in too 
many gardens, and a note of warning at this period may be season¬ 
able. 
Planting and the management of the plantations afterwards are 
in a measure so closely connected that it is impossible to consider 
them separately if trees, plantations and shrubbery borders are to 
prove in the future ornamental and interesting. It matters very 
little what care is taken at planting, or what striking objects it is 
intended shall eventually be displayed, if the plantations are not 
attended to afterwards, for upon this entirely depends whether the 
end in view is ever attained. Good planting with thoughtful care 
in after management will result in the development of noble sym¬ 
metrical specimens, each possessing characteristic features of interest 
and beauty. Badly managed plantations and shrubbery borders pro¬ 
duce exactly the contrary—a confused mass of vegetation struggling 
for existence. For a time crowded luxuriant vegetation may appear 
beautiful to all, but an experienced man at once discerns the 
work of destruction that is going on, and knows only too well that 
the whole will be ruined in a few years. The better the prepara¬ 
tion at the commencement, and the more robust their growth, the 
sooner they are bare and unsightly and fit only to be cut down and 
the ground replanted. 
Plantations and shrubbery borders should be attended to annu¬ 
ally, unless severe thinning is practised, and all trees and shrubs 
thinned out that are likely to crowd those to be retained for the 
future ornamentation of the grounds. Every tree or shrub that 
will interfere with the proper development of these should be lifted 
and planted elsewhere. This is not always practicable, and in some 
instances not desirable, for it depends whether those planted to fill 
up are really worth lifting. They can, however, be cut back by 
degrees, so that a great gap is not caused until they can be spared 
altogether. It is much better to sacrifice all that are not wanted, 
whatever they may be, directly they are becoming crowded, than 
allow them to grow together to the destruction of all. Gardeners 
are not wholly to blame for the neglected condition in which shrub¬ 
bery borders and plantations are seen. Employers often object to 
the removal of a tree, or even a branch, and in consequence the 
whole soon go to ruin ; but I am inclined to think that if the im¬ 
portance of timely thinning was properly explained to them they 
would soon see the value of such work, as I have proved to be the 
case in more than one instance. 
When planting is done about the pleasure grounds it is often 
necessary to plant more closely at first than need be the case in other 
positions, so that a furnished appearance is presented at once. 
Under these circumstances mistakes are often made, and when the 
trees want more room the whole must be turned over, for thinning 
cannot well be done in any other way if due provision was not 
made at the commencement. The future even in these cases must 
be considered, and the plants so arranged that thinning when 
required can be done readily and easily without having to lift 
those plants that are intended to develope into specimens to furnish 
the space planted. When the whole have to be re-arranged the 
plants are checked and growth for a year or two at least ren¬ 
dered less robust. It is necessary in many instances to avoid this, 
especially when an endeavour is made to grow the plants into speci¬ 
mens as early as possible. When planting, say, a clump of Hollies 
it is wise to dispose the principal plants where they are to remain 
sufficiently far apart that they can attain full size without having 
to be removed afterwards. The space between them can be filled 
with similar plants or others to be relifted and planted elsewhere as 
the permanent plants develope. After these are removed those 
intended to remain will have attained some size, and the ground 
between them can be levelled and sown with grass seeds, if this can 
be done to improve the view or appearance of the ground. If not, 
and the plantation looks thinner than it is desirable to have it, a 
few smaller plants can again be placed for a season or two. Bulbous 
and herbaceous plants may occupy the ground for a time. 
Something more than merely digging a hole, putting the 
roots of a tree in it, and then covering them with soil is needed. 
Planting with a view to the trees developing into grand specimens 
necessitates a thorough knowledge of the tree or shrub to be 
planted ; its natural habit of growth, the size under favourable 
conditions to which it will attain, must be taken fully into considera¬ 
tion. Many mistakes are made through insufficient knowledge of 
these matters, and also for the want of knowing the surroundings 
and conditions under which trees, shrubs, and Conifers are displayed 
to the best advantage. The last is really a matter of observation 
rather than practice and experience, for much valuable information 
can be gained by observing the conditions and position under which 
certain deciduous trees and evergreens look most beautiful. My 
advice to young gardeners is to note particularly these matters, for 
the information so gained will prove invaluable to them in the 
future when the responsibility of this work devolves upon them. 
It may save many blunders which a lifetime afterwards would 
prove perhaps insufficient in which to rectify them. 
Whether clumps of trees are planted for immediate effect or 
not, it must be duly considered before planting what deciduous 
trees and evergreens, if associated together, are to remain to become 
fully developed for permanent objects. If the ground is sufficiently 
large to accommodate one common and one Purple Beech, two 
Chestnuts red and white, a scarlet and a white Thorn, and two 
Laburnums, when fully developed, and these are the trees it is 
desirable to associate together, they should be so disposed on the 
ground that a distinct feature can be observed from as many points 
as possible. These main trees must not be planted a few yards 
only, but the size to which each will attain as they approach 
maturity should be considered and the plants arranged accordingly. 
A greater space still must be allowed if it is intended to have speci¬ 
men Hollies, Pines, and Conifers amongst them. This system 
where practicable should be followed, for the one displays wonder¬ 
fully the advantages of the other at the different seasons of the 
year. The evergreens give a furnished appearance during the winter 
months when deciduous trees are destitute of foliage. After the 
main plants have been arranged the remaining ground, if planted at 
first in the forms of clumps or plantations, can be filled with Syca¬ 
mores, Privets, Rhododendrons, or any others that the planter 
may desire to be lifted out or cut down as the main trees require 
room for extension. Perhaps one of the greatest mistakes in 
planting is the association of forest trees and evergreens. How 
frequently do we find narrow belts or small plantations with two 
or three rows of forest trees, and the front formed with a row of 
Hollies, Rhododendrons, and others. These may look well while 
they are young. The front row or two of evergreens may be 
expected to make reasonable progress ; but in a few years the 
strong ones at the back rob the ground of its fertility, and the 
smaller slower-growing plants fail to make headway, and soon 
become bare at the base. At first the evergreens are planted for 
the purpose of blocking out the interior of the clump, but soon fail 
to do so through being robbed of sufficient food, partially excluded 
from light, and subjected to drip from the trees in the background. 
This system of planting cannot be too strongly condemned, for in 
the end it is sure to prove disappointing. 
