374 
TTIE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February Hi. 
transplanted at such establishments almost annually for 
the sake of confining their roots within a small compact 
compass, that may be moved with little injury whenever 
wanted, why they may be planted by the purchaser 
either in autumn, winter, or spring; but such large 
evergreens as we have referred to should have their 
roots cut round now, and then be left where growing, 
prepared for removal early nest October. It is quite 
true that large evergreens, such as we have specified, 
may succeed when transplanted in spring, but it is 
always at a great sacrifice, and we know an instance, 
last year, where every precaution in staking, mulching, 
and watering, were adopted relative to such trees moved 
the last week in February, yet one-fifth nearly of the 
trees were sacrificed. Largo deciduous trees, ten feet 
high, Birch, Sycamores, Poplars, Thorns, Cratseguses, 
&c., bore the transplanting without a single failure. 
Mr. Beaton, writing to us upon the subject, says:— 
“They knew as much about transplanting evergreens 
in the days of London and Wise as we do now; but 
how the change came about for planting them only in 
April and May, as was long the fashion, it is not so 
easy to say. About thirty years since, in one of the 
largest nurseries in the north, they would ‘ draw’ decid¬ 
uous plants until the first Tuesday in April, but none 
after that for love or money, as it was not ‘lucky’ to 
do so. After that day evergreens would be ‘drawn’ as 
long as orders came in; and very likely it was for the 
convenience of the nurserymen that the planting of 
evergreens was put off till late in the spring, they being 
the chief guides to planters, from the first edition of 
‘ Miller’s Dictionary’ till Loudon brought out the ‘ En- 
cyclopoedia of Gardening' iu 1822. Mr. Gleudiuning, 
in the ‘Journal of the Horticultural Society,’ made the 
first move towards the old style of planting evergreens 
early in the autumn, and in The Cottage Gardener 
I pushed the subject as far as London and Wise did— 
neither of us being aware that we only renewed an 
ancient practice.” 
The contribution of Mr. Glendinning, thus referred 
to, appeared in 1849, and from it we borrow this 
extract:— 
“ It would be traversing over a beaten track to enter into 
any general detail respecting the ascent and descent of the 
fluids in plants, and the formation and deposition annually 
of new wood in all ligneous vegetation. It will he sufficient 
for my purpose to state that this extension and formation 
takes place chiefly after Midsummer, and principally in 
evergreens during autumn, when the young shoots begin to 
attain a certain degree of consistency. It is during this 
downward tendency of the fluids, and when the solar action 
is in some measure on the decline, that I should seize and 
conduct with all rapidity the operations of transplanting; 
and, if this is intended to he conducted extensively, I should 
recommend the end of August as a good time to begin, 
September being the safest month in the year; selecting 
such plants to commence with as have matured their shoots. 
Another and very important reason remains to be stated 
why autumn is to he preferred for undertakings of this 
kind in preference to winter. The force of the sun during 
summer, although now on the decline, has warmed the 
earth to a considerable degree and depth, so that the mu¬ 
tilated roots are comparatively situated on a gentle bottom- 
heat, which rapidly promotes cicatrization, and frequently 
aids the emission of young spongelets during the current 
autumn. 
“ That the season which I have here ventured to urge for 
the performance erf the work under consideration is un¬ 
deniably theoretically the right period appears beyond all 
question ; and being no mean experimentalist in rural em¬ 
bellishment, with plants of considerable magnitude, I can 
attest also that it is practically the season to be preferred 
beyond all others. I had occasion to superintend the 
removal of upwards of two thousand trees and shrubs, all 
evergreen, and varying in size from six to forty feet high, 
during one autumn. The trees were prepared as formerly 
described the previous spring, and as the undertaking was 
rather gigantic, the work was begun in August and finished 
with the year. The result was of course watched with some 
interest, and the following summer, when an examination 
took place, I found that those trees which were transplanted 
early in the season indicated little change from their re¬ 
moval, but the contrary was the case with those which had 
undergone similar transplantation during December. In 
fact the gradual diminution of the motion of the sap, 
accompanied with declining atmospheric action, which 
tended, in conjunction with the usual autumnal precipita¬ 
tions, to cool and saturate the earth, clearly and pro¬ 
gressively exhibited our comparative success.” 
Knowing that the account-books of the celebrated 
London and Wise, of the Brompton Nursery, were in 
the possession of Mr. Hogg, we applied to him for some 
extracts from them that might confirm or refute the 
statement that early autumn was the season for trans¬ 
planting evergreens preferred by those eminent nur¬ 
serymen. He has furnished us with such extracts most 
obligingly accompanied by this comment;—“I now 
enclose you the extracts. There seems a fair distribu¬ 
tion of all kinds of evergreens over the autumn, winter, 
and spring; but it is very evident that the greater 
portion were transplanted early in autumn. For ten 
that are sold in winter and spring there are one hundred 
in September and October. Of course you will under¬ 
stand I have not sent you every entry, but only such 
as will show that during every month evorgreens of 
all kinds were transplanted.” 
From the Day Book op Brompton Park Nursery, 
por 1717. 
1717. 
May 7.- 
11 . 
-To Sir John Austin, to make good ye 
Yew hedge: 
36 Hedge Yews, at 3s. 
To Mr. Carpenter: 
20 Hedge Yews, 3 foot high 
-To Esqr. Waller, of Beckensfield: 
22 Hedge Yews, 3 foot and I high. 
1 
2 
0 
3 Standard ditto, 9 foot high 
1 Pyramid Bredgeman Holley, G foot 
0 
15 
0 
0 
5 
0 
27.—To a Jobber: 
36 Phillarees 
0 
18 
0 
1.—To a Jobber: 
40 Phillarees 
1 
0 
0 
20.—To a Woman: 
12 Hedge Phillarees 
0 
6 
0 
12.—To a Man from London : 
3 Phillarea Hedg Plants . 
0 
1 
6 
30.—To Esqr. Fellowes, at Carshalton : 
31 Large Standard Yews . 
7 
15 
0 
31. „ 44 Hedge Yews 
5 
10 
0 
2. „ 40 Large Yews 
5 
0 
0 
3. „ 41 Large Hedg Yews 
5 
2 
6 
4. „ 13 Large Fan Standard Yews 
3 
5 
0 
9. „ 40 Hedg Yews 
5 
0 
0 
11. „ 42 Hedg Yews 
5 
5 
0 
18.—To Mr. Adam Holt: 
18 Pyramid Yews . 
1 
7 
0 
260 Hedge Pbillereas 
8 
13 
4 
30.—To Mr. Bartlett, of Camberwell: 
11 Hedg Holleys, 7 ft. 
4 
2 
6 
12 Smaller ditto, 2 ft. 
1 
16 
0 
5 8 0 
0 10 0 
