August 29.J THE COTTAG] 
from Box Hill, in Surrey, from which a great number of 
plants have been reared by Mr. Lovett, his gardener 
now one of the most contented race of our old gar¬ 
deners, living in “ a cottage near a wood” in tire middle 
of the park, and although in his eightieth year he enjoys 
a walk round the gardens as much as any of us, to see 
“ all these now fancies,” as he terms the present style of 
gardening. Some of those box trees which Mr. Lovett 
planted thirty years since on a long dry bank under 
large trees, now form a thick screen tor a “winter gar¬ 
den,” from which, when we want a “ box,” we can draw 
full-grown plants without being missed. Among other 
41 new fancies,” we resolved last May to make a hedge 
of full-grown box-trees for one side ot a new terrace, 
which was in progress under the directions of Mr. Barry, 
the celebrated architect. At first, it was proposed to 
plant this box hedge next September, as recommended 
by Mr. Glendcnning in the Journal of the Horticultural 
Society, who removed a hedge of large hollies tor the 
Society last September with perfect success; but, on a 
second consideration, I wished to prove how tar Mr. 
Barron’s views of planting could be relied on upon a 
very different soil from that on which he has practised 
with such marked success; and as the plants were at 
hand, and no stint of them either, if we did fail the loss 
would not be felt. All this being duly considered, my 
worthy employers, seeing I had rather an itching ioi 
the job, gave their consent to have the hedge planted at 
once. The box was then in the middle of its growth, 
and I wished to wait until the growth was completed, 
which would be about the third week in June, but, 
owing to the arrangements ot the masons and biick- 
layers, I must either get in the hedge at once or put it 
off till the middle of August. This was considered a 
point rather in favour of the planters, as it the box trees 
should die under the operation, they would have a loop¬ 
hole for escape, and could say “ it was all owing" to 
their being removed at the critical time ot their annual 
growth. A trench, twelve feet wide and four ieet deep, 
was opened, the old soil removed, and a fresh supply 
carted in, and the trench was filled up to within 18 
inches of the top; the whole was gently stamped 
down, as the soil was put in so that it could settle but 
very little afterwards, and when the bed was ready for 
the plants, that is, within eighteen inches of the top, it 
was stamped down quite close. There were two reasons 
for this last pressing of the soil: the first reason, that it 
should not settle as I have just said; and the second, 
that the water should not pass through it readily when 
the plants were watered. This would have been a, very 
injudicious proceeding on some soils, although in our 
case it was necessary. The soil here is so light, that a 
fresh bed of it, like tbe one for this box-hedge, would 
let the water pass right through it to the bottom, with¬ 
out doing any good for the plants, unless it was thus 
compressed ; whereas some retentive soils, if this pro¬ 
cess were applied to them, would not drain at all, which 
would be as injurious the other way. Now, here is one 
of those sources of disappointment and vexation inse¬ 
parable from tbe system of learning how to do parti¬ 
cular tilings from books. We read of so and so having 
been performed with great success, and wo think that 
by following the writer step by step we must also suc¬ 
ceed in similar attempts. Here, then, is where the 
“practical ” man has the advantage over the book man; 
the book may put us on the right scent, but unless we 
have as much practical knowledge as will show us how 
far we may be justified in carrying out a set of rules 
under different circumstances, we may make a mess of 
it after all our reading. Hence the reason why I would 
not recommend others, under different circumstances, to 
follow me implicitly in the planting of large evergreens, 
even at any season. 
To make this experiment more complete, I made it a 
1 GARDENER. 329* 
point that none of the men engaged in the gardens should 
have a finger in it. 1. took half a dozon strong men 
who worked on the farm, with spades, pickaxes, and three 
tined strong forks, and set them to work on Monday 
the third of June, and in ten days the hedge was planted, 
which then looked as if it had been growing there these 
twenty years. The first five weeks passed with only one 
slight shower, and the sun poured his unbroken rays on 
the hedge all the time; in short, every thing tended to 
test the experiment of planting large bushes or trees at 
midsummer, on light soils; and no experiment could be 
more complete—not a single leal drooped, and even the 
young growth went on without let or hindrance, just as 
if the plants had not been interfered with at all. If 
the same men had continued to plant large trees or 
bushes from that day to this, I can see no reason why 
a single leaf on all the plants removed should take any 
hurt; and if that be so, it is surely a safe time now to 
remove evergreens,—not only so, but every week that 
passes, from this day, will add to the disadvantages 
under which removed trees must more or less be liable. 
The Horticultural Society of London had set a very 
good example, by the removal of tbe holly hedge in their 
garden early in the autumn of last year; not but that 
gardeners were well aware of the fact, that such things 
could be done, but in a public place like their garden, 
and under the auspices of a public body, the thing was 
more likely to take the attention of the gardening world. 
The true time, however, to begin to transplant large 
evergreens, as I said bolore, is as early in duly as their 
growth is finished lor that season; and the credit oi the 
discovery is undoubtedly due to Mr. Barron, at Llvaston 
Castle; and all that I, or, indeed, any other gardener has 
done in this line, is no more than picking up the crumbs 
from under his table. 
There was nothing particular in the modus operandi 
of our proceedings in this instance; nevertheless, as 
amateurs like to read about the way such things are 
actually performed in practise, I shall in my next letter 
give a detailed account of how every item of the work 
was carried on, and, what is of more import, shall ex¬ 
plain the reasons for every particular movement from 
first to last. Meantime, I would urge the great im¬ 
portance of the early removal of large evergreens, and 
now that no time be lost in preparing for immediate 
operation. T>. Beaton. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Clerodendrums. —These beautiful plants are universal 
favourites, owing to their massive handsome foliage, and 
in general their large heads of scarlet blossoms. They 
who have stoves and propose growing them, will find a 
select list of the best kinds, and ample directions for 
culture, in a late number. With a little attention, 
however, some of tbe prettiest may be grown successfully 
with the assistance of a greenhouse, and such aid of 
bottom-heat for a short time as the common cucumber 
box could supply. Some of tbe readers of the Cottage 
Gardener have expressed surprise at seeing fine plants 
used solely during summer for ornamenting the green¬ 
house, and other places where no artificial heat could be 
given; and, therefore, a few notes of our practice in this 
respect may render these flowers a more general luxury. 
The family is native only of the tropical regions of 
both hemispheres. What a practical man would term 
the “ sight ” of the plants, would at once hint this fact; 
and if he knew nothing of their history, their appearance 
would lead him to consign them to the warm pit or 
stove. If kept there, he will find that they will be ever- 
greens in their character, or a sort of go-between the ever | 
green and deciduous. He finds, however, that if he ^ 
