November 7 , 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
403 
and for the second drainage and a plentiful supply of coarse gritty 
matter, such as road scrapings, coal ashes, shattered bricks or stone 
shippings thoroughly mixed with the marl and manure, our object 
being to open up the soil to the action of the air as well as to drain 
and enrich it. It is of course desirable to treat the whole of the 
soil in this manner ; but as this is a costly process it is customary 
to prepare stations for the trees, and to improve the condition of 
the remainder subsequently. Each station should be 6 feet square 
and 2£ feet deep, the bottom 6 inches being filled with broken 
stones rammed hard, and the 2 feet above filled with the prepared 
soil. 
Drains of common 2-inch pipes should be made 30 feet apart 
and 4 feet deep, taking care to connect every station by a branch 
■drain with the main nearest to it ; for when stations are prepared 
in clay, or any substance of a compact adhesive nature, if they are 
•undrained they become just so many death traps for the roots, 
owing to the accumulation of stagnant water. In my own practice 
I am not content to make a branch drain to the side of the station, 
but continue it right across the bottom, laying the row of pipes 
upon the hard-rammed stone. As a general rule it may be taken 
for granted, that when the soil in which fruit trees grow rests upon 
a deep compact subsoil drains will do good, but when the soil is 
shallow and has a substratum of rock, chalk, or shattered stone 
immediately beneath it (a natural drain), then of course artificial 
drains are uncalled for, and would, indeed, prove injurious. 
Let the planting be done in November, pruning off all bruised 
roots, and shortening all leading shoots to about 9 inches. Do not 
bury the roots deeply, but keep them within 6 inches of the sur¬ 
face, spreading every one of them out carefully to its utmost 
length, treading the soil so that none of the roots lie at all loose in 
it. Cover the entire surface of the station with 3 inches of rough 
half-decayed manure immediately after planting, and fasten the 
free securely with wire and stumps so that it may never be swayed 
by the wind, for if the roots and stem become loosened in the soil 
the tree will not grow and there is much risk of its dying. Always 
plant quickly, or cover the roots with soil when you receive them 
from the nursery. The effect of exposing the roots to the air is 
so pernicious that many a tree has been lost through it. Take care 
that the manure mixed with the soil is old and quite decayed, or it 
may contain the spawn of fungi, which is also found in decaying 
wood and leaves, spreading thence over the roots of the tree and 
killing them. 
Watch the trees carefully during the first season of growth 
after the planting. See that they do not suffer from drought. 
The surface-dressing of manure will act as a tolerable safeguard, 
but two or three thorough soakings of water or sewage are of 
material assistance to the growth and health of the tree in a dry 
season. See also that any fastenings of string or wire are loosened 
in time to prevent harm to the bark, which swells very fast upon a 
healthy strong-growing young tree. 
Given healthy trees and due attention to these hints there 
ought not to be a single failure. Every point and detail mentioned 
is, however, of equal importance with the rest; and I must insist 
upon no negligence in any respect, for failures often arise from 
inattention to some matter apparently trivial in itself but of vital 
importance in its influence upon other things, and our correspondent 
will probably find that his lamentable failure was caused by inat¬ 
tention to some so-called trifle.—E. 
SEASONABLE NOTES ON USEFUL PLATS TS. 
AMASONIA PUNICEA. 
Some care is needed not to check this plant in its present stage 
of growth. It must not have too much water at its roots, or they 
will perish, especially if the temperature in which it is grown is 
rather low. To do it well it should have a temperature of 65", and 
if practicable a gentle bottom heat, which induces it to lengthen the 
brilliant crimson bracts and racemes of creamy white flowers. It 
grows freely during summer, but when growth is completed it is 
easily checked, and the flowers do not open well in a temperature 
that falls below 60°. It will do in this temperature, but where the 
higher one can be maintained all the better. 
ANTHURIUM SCHERTZERIANUM. 
Plants that have completed their growth should be removed 
from the stove to any structure where an intermediate temperature 
■can be maintained. While in this position supply water carefully ; 
in fact, it is desirable to keep the soil somewhat dry. The roots 
are very liable to decay if the compost about them is too wet while 
the temperature is low. Cold draughts must not be allowed to 
strike upon the plants. A few weeks’ rest in a lower temperature 
is beneficial, and stove heat afterwards will soon bring them into 
flower. During the early months of the year few plants are more 
serviceable in the stove for decoration ; their scarlet spathes showing 
to great advantage. 
ANTHURIUM ANDREANUM. 
Strong plants raised in the spring, and in 6 and 7-inch pots, with 
a large spathe from each rising above other plants are conspicuous 
at this season. For associating with other plants in stoves that 
have to be kept attractive during the autumn and winter few 
plants are more effective or useful than this Anthurium. No 
sooner does one spathe disappear than another is produced. A few 
large plants for the centre of large houses are also very telling. 
There are many varieties, some of which are scarcely worth growing. 
The best plan is to select a good bright-coloured variety with large 
spathes, and grow it upright until it is 4 or 5 feet high, and then 
cut up the stem in spring. One good bud is only needed for each 
plant—that is, portions of stem with about two joints. The old 
stool will break freely again from the base. 
CLERODENDRON FALLAX. 
The earliest plants that were raised from seed will quickly come 
into flower if they are given stove heat—in fact, these plants will 
soon go back in a lower temperature than 60°. When the plants 
come into flower select one, and place it in the dryest position that 
can be found for yielding seed. The chief reason why the flowers 
do not set freely when the plants are grown in the stove is because 
the atmosphere is too moist. 
APHELANDRA AURANTIACA ROEZLI. 
Some of the most forward plants are coming into flower, and as 
these are much better raised from seed than cuttings, and grow 
with greater freedom, a few plants should be selected for seed¬ 
bearing. These must be placed on a shelf, or where the atmo¬ 
sphere is a little dryer than in the stove. Under these conditions 
they produce seed freely, but when the seed is ripening it should be 
collected daily, because it is soon distributed about the house. 
Plants that flower about February generally bear seed better than 
those that come into flower now. From plants flowering at that 
period we have lifted large quantities of young plants that have 
sprung up in the gravel and by the side of the walks. It is not 
safe, however, to rely upon a stock of plants being raised from 
self-sown seed. 
CALADIUM ARGTRITES. 
The leaves of this small-growing Caladium are always useful fo r 
associating with flowers. The tubers of a few of the plants that 
ripened early may be started into growth in brisk heat. Th e 
tubers should be placed singly in small pots, and plunged in brisk 
bottom heat. If grown only for their foliage a number of tubers 
may be placed in 5-inch pots. They start quicker and better in 
small pots with only a small quantity of soil about them. 
CYPERUS DISTANS. 
Strong plants in 5-inch pots raised from seed in spring and now 
in an intermediate temperature may be brought forward in 
succession by introducing a few into a temperature of 65°. Where 
furnishing is done on a large scale few plants are more useful. 
They are easily grown, and will bear cool house treatment until the 
end of October—in fact, they will do very well through the winter 
in a house that does not fall below 45° to 50°. Strong plants grow 
quickly in heat, but care should be taken to harden them before 
they are used in rooms and other similar positions.—B. N. G. 
HORSERADISH CULTURE. 
For the last two years I have practised the following annual 
routine of culture with Horseradish, and find it succeed perfectly. 
As soon as the leaves are off the plants in October or November we 
take out a trench at one end of the bed, as is usual in ordinary 
trenching, and by means of fork and spade turn over the whole of 
the bed down to the clay, carefully picking out the roots as whole 
as possible, and manuring as the process goes on. The bed is then 
made level ready for replanting. The roots are next looked over ; 
all that is fit for kitchen use are dressed and laid aside for that 
purpose, and all the long thin roots of the thickness of a quill 
stripped of all side roots are laid in bundles for replanting. With 
a long dibber (or an ordinary Dahlia stick will do), make holes 
18 inches or 2 feet deep, 6 inches apart, and 1 foot between the 
rows. Into each of these holes we drop one of these long roots, 
and then fill the hole up with fine dry soil from under the potting 
bench. These make good useable roots the first season, but of 
course if they were left for two seasons they would be much 
better. This annual planting has many advantages. In the first 
place, a very small bed will grow sufficient for the supply of 
most families. This struck me forcibly on entering a very old 
kitchen garden a few months ago, where was to be seen a bed of 
