September 5. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
431 
fit topics of remonstrance from the pulpit; if they deem 
it not meet to cry, as of old, “ Why will ye die, ye house 
of Israel?” or, “ the Lord is in the camp, therefore put 
away every unclean thing;” at least, let them exhort 
men in lectures, and in house-to-house visitation. The 
efforts people will make when their principles are 
effectually appealed to, and when a sense of duty is at 
last stirred up—duty to our neighbour and to our kind, 
and surely that is a religious duty—such efforts are, if 
once aroused, infinitely more to be relied on than the 
fear of the stringent provisions of a cut-aud-dried Act of 
Parliament, or the very last well-written circular bearing 
the signature of the clever Secretary to the Board of 
Health. J. J. 
THE PLANTING SEASON. 
We all remember what a contention there was, some 
eight or ten years since, about the best period for plant¬ 
ing, some being all for the spring, others as stoutly con¬ 
tending for the autumn. I can fancy, however, from 
the general tone of articles in our gardening periodicals, 
and otherwise, that the spring-planting men have un¬ 
dergone a slight change of opinion. How any man can 
prefer March to October, I am at a loss to imagine. I 
grant, that in a showery and shady March (which surely 
is the exception), shrubs, or trees, planted then, or in 
February, will succeed well; perhaps leave nothing to 
be desired ; but surely, gardeners ought not to take their 
stand on so narrow a foundation. The average of sea¬ 
sons is the good gardener’s aim; he has no thirst for 
conceits, whims, or mere assumptions. 
There are two distinct classes of shrubs and trees, 
however, which, in this argument, require separate con¬ 
sideration, viz., the Evergreen and the Deciduous. As to 
the argument applied to evergreen planting, I have not 
a single doubt of the propriety of autumn, aye, and early 
autumn too ; under some circumstances, as early as the 
second week in September. With deciduous things, 
however, the case slightly differs; they are approaching 
a state of greater dormancy ; still, there appears no 
reason for alarm on this head. It must be admitted 
here, that the balance is in favour of evergreen plant¬ 
ing; and why? Evergreens, in October, possess fully- 
developed foliage in high functional condition, and since 
the doctrine that “ leaves make roots, and roots make 
leaves,” is universally recognised, it will at once be seen 
that as these noble leaves cannot remain entirely supine, 
they will necessarily be employed in promoting that j 
granular process, termed callosity, which is at once a 
healing and a reproducing process—reproductive of new , 
fibres, even as we find iu cutting-striking. 
Deciduous tilings, of course, are, at this period, ap¬ 
proaching their highest point of dormancy, if such it 
may be called, although it is extremely doubtful if ever 1 
there be such a thing as a perfectly dormant condition : 
in shrubs or trees; if there be, it must, I think, occur 
when there is disease or great prostration of energy. So, i 
then, we see, that in the case of deciduous trees or 
shrubs, whether we transplant or no, a season of what 
we call rest naturally supervenes ; and if we transplant 
when the roots are at their lowest absorbent point, why 
we cannot be said to interfere much with the natural 
functions of the tree. The fact is, thero is little doubt 
but we hurry forward that condition, and shorten the 
period of rest in the root at least, by inducing speedily 
the granular process. 
But, be this as it may, the best of the tale in favour 
of autumnal planting remains to be told. We all know 
that transpiration, or, in more common phraseology, 
perspiration, is in plants a mighty agency for weal or 
woe, according to conditions. Thus, in the spring time, 
we talk of the want of sunlight; we have taken every 
conceivable means to furnish the absorbent powers of 
our crops, almost to repletion, through the agency of 
high manurial applications, &c.; but we soon find that 
light and heat are requisite in conjunction with a lively 
root action, in order that accretive matter be added to 
the system, through the medium of elaboration, in¬ 
volving, of course, a considerable amount of perSpira- 
tion. But observe similar crops in the garden in July 
and August, during a hot period, and after an over-rapid 
development of the foliage of a plant through a past 
period of much solar warmth, with liberal showers! 
Here we see Cauliflowers, Brocoli, &c., flagging with 
only one hour’s sunshine, especially if that pestering 
enemy, the “ club,” has been in the least degree busy 
below. Here, then, we see, by illustration, the character 
and effects of perspiration through the foliage, in its 
relation to the absorbing powers. 
As evergreens perspire considerably during sunshine 
and the prevalence of dry winds, it is obviously the 
better policy to transplant when the perspiratory 
actions approach its lowest point, rather than the 
reverse; and of seizing on that peculiar period when 
such is the case. That period, then, taken in conjunc¬ 
tion with some other matters, is the end of September 
or October; not but that perspiration is still less 
in winter, yet, when we take into consideration the 
propriety of enlisting a ground-heat in our favour, we 
shall do well not to defer it a day later. The ground 
warmth in October will probably be found to range 
somewhere between 55° and 00° in fair situations; and 
at 55° rooting will be much facilitated. I need scarcely 
add, that on speedy rooting most of the success depends. 
I wish here, however, to refer more particularly to the 
previous provisions which should be made for trans¬ 
planting, especially shrubs or trees of any size, and in 
important situations. Compost - yards should be ex¬ 
amined, and, if there is any old tan, leaf-soil, or, indeed, 
any loose and generous material to spare, it should be 
scraped together and duly mixed. There is always 
something of this kind to be had, and even the very 
shovellings of such spots will be found useful. Any¬ 
thing that has once been a living vegetable will help to 
swell a compost of this kind; and if a little ordinary j 
waste soil can be spared to blend with it, or even sand, I 
so much the better. With such a heap of “priming,” 
as we call it, one of the chief steps towards a successful j 
issue is provided. In the removal of all large specimens, | 
it is, doubtless, excellent practice to excavate round j 
those trees or shrubs to be removed a good while before : 
removal. This causes the wounded extremities to com- j 
meuce rooting in the interior of the ball—a useful pro¬ 
visional step towards a safe removal. A month of this 
kind will do much, and if the check tend to subdue 
pride a little, so much the better. In removing large 
evergreens, if any late growths should prevail, or, what 
is termed the “midsummer growth,” which means a 
second growth out of the first, let it by all means be cut 
back to its starting point; and, indeed, there can be no 
doubt that where there is an ample amount of foliage, 
it is good practice to thin away judiciously any inferior 
shoots that can be spared. This, however, must be 
done with a cautious hand, and with reference not only 
to planting principles, but also with due respect to the 
style and shape of the tree. And here let me protest 
against what I may term the “ levelling ” mode of 
pruning. Set a half-fledged, jobbing, town gardener to 
prune a large evergreen, and ten to one he gives you the 
exact model of a fine Tulip; such a form as those im¬ 
perious gentlemen, the florists, insist should be stamped 
on everything; for I verily believe, that if they could 
have their own way, they would have even three- 
