September 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
321 
it to the truck, and remove it away from the ball, as 
well as the rope and mats; then commence filling 
in the soil, breaking it well previously. Do not put 
in too much at once, and mix it with water, stirring 
them together. Proceed thus, layer upon layer, till 
the hole is full to the brim; place some stakes slop¬ 
ing to the tree, and tie them to it, protecting the stem 
with either a piece of matting or some broad strips 
of coarse canvass, and tie the shrub to the stakes 
with strong tarred twine, which lasts longer than 
common cord; then give the tree a good syringing, 
repeating it occasionally. If all these means are 
used, and precautions taken, the tree or shrub is 
almost sure to grow. 
Smaller trees or shrubs may be moved with less 
apparatus, but the same care and attention, in a pro¬ 
per degree, are necessary to ensure success. Two or 
three persons may move a moderate-sized tree with 
a simple pole tied to the bole of the tree, close to the 
ball; the men can then take hold of the pole at each 
end, putting their arms under it, and carrying it away 
to its intended site, the hole having been prepared 
as just directed. 
By transplanting these trees or shrubs thus early 
their growth is almost insured. They will, during the 
warm autumnal months, put out abundance of young 
roots, and be gathering up from the moist soil a re¬ 
servoir of sap, so that in the spring the buds will be 
in vigour to make leaves and growth next year very 
strongly. 
Propagating Evergreens. —Now is the time also 
to put in cuttings of the various kinds of evergreen 
shrubs. Several of the commoner kinds, such as au- 
cubas, common and Portugal laurels, laurustinus, 
box-tree, alaternus, variegated hollies, common privet, 
lavender, rosemary, pliillyreas, &c., will strike root 
in shady borders, without any glass over them. 
The cuttings should be taken from the extremity of 
this year’s shoots, and be about six inches long. The 
leaves should be fully grown and the wood moderately 
matured. Trim off with the sharpest knife, without 
injuring the bark, the lowest leaves, leaving two at the 
top of the cutting, if large like the laurel, or more if 
small like the box. Cut the bottom of each cutting 
across with a clean cut; bury them in the soil down 
to the leaves across the border. Plant them rather 
thickly in lines, four inches apart, treading the soil 
firmly to each row as you go on. Put in a few more 
than you are likely to want, as some may not succeed, 
and if they all do you can give to, or exchange the 
surplus with, some of your neighbours. 
Some kinds of evergreen cuttings require glass over 
them, and to be kept close and shaded, to insure tlieir 
growing. Most of the resinous tribe require this 
treatment: the Irish yew, for instance, and the Arbor 
vita, as well as others of similar habit. Several 
kinds produce seeds, and are propagated that way; 
the best time to sow these is in April. Portugal 
laurels are best raised from seed, and so are common 
hollies, but all variegated varieties must be increased 
either by cuttings or layers. Again, some may be in¬ 
creased by grafting or budding. We remember, about 
this time last year, being allowed by the Earl of Har¬ 
rington to inspect his splendid collection of conifene 
at Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire.* Mr. Barron, his 
gardener, a most excellent man, showed us long ave¬ 
nues of Ceclrus deodara (the Himalayan cedar] that 
had been grafted upon the common cedar of Lebanon 
(Gedrus Libani), and they appeared to be quite 
at home, growing with unexampled rapidity and 
strength; they had been grafted about a dozen years. 
* Conifers :—the cone-bearing or fir tribe. 
We bud, as is well known, the variegated hollies upon 
the common holly, on which they grow much more 
luxuriantly than on their own roots, whether raised 
by cuttings or layers. 
FLORISTS’ FLOWERS. 
Carnations and Picotees. —As the layers put forth 
roots let them be put into the pots in which they are 
to be kept through the winter. The soil to be used 
now should be of a rather poor character; too much 
stimulating matter would have the effect of causing 
too much luxuriance of growth, and often during 
the winter a yellowness in the leaves by no means 
desirable. Pure sweet loam, with about one-eighth 
of very much decayed leaves, commonly called vege¬ 
table mould, will be the best soil or compost for these 
plants to grow in through the winter. Expose them 
fully to the open air now, and guard them from all 
destructive vermin, such as wireworms, snails, rab¬ 
bits, and hares. 
The Clove Carnation is an old favourite, and de¬ 
servedly so. Every cottage garden ought to have 
several patches of this sweet smelling flower: it is 
much hardier than the carnation, and is therefore 
more easily kept and managed. To increase it, it 
requires layering exactly in the same way that the 
carnation does; but this operation may be done much 
later in the year on the clove. Layers of it will suc¬ 
ceed even yet, but we do not advise delaying layer¬ 
ing even cloves beyond the end of this month. If 
a year-old plant sends out five or six or more shoots, 
and these are layered now, and those layers are left 
on the stool to bloom next year, the quantity of 
blooms will be very large. We counted very lately 
on a stool so managed nearly one hundred blossoms. 
The clove carnation is an excellent plant for bedding, 
the dark colour contrasting finely with the lawn, or 
even its own light green foliage; flowering at this 
season, too, when the carnation and picotee are nearly 
out of bloom, renders it very desirable. Messrs. 
Henderson, of Pine-Apple-place, possess a dwarf white 
variety of this plant, equally as valuable for bed¬ 
ding and making a contrast with it, which is often 
desirable. This variety seldom grows more than a 
foot high, has large flowers numerously produced on 
short stems, and is quite as fragrant as the dark- 
coloured clove. 
Seedlings should now be planted out in nursery 
beds four inches apart everyway; keep them clear 
of weeds; stir the ground between them frequently, 
and before winter put on a cover of decayed leaves, 
from half an inch to one inch thick; this will 
strengthen your seedlings both now and in spring, 
for it will protect the roots during winter. 
T. Appleby. 
GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW 
GARDENING. 
Popular Errors : Autumn Growth .—Many people, 
sensible people too, believe that the longer they keep 
or encourage plants to grow in the autumn the more 
organisable matter, or, in plainer words, the more 
digested food they will prepare and store away for 
future use. This is quite a mistake, as physiology 
has long since asserted. It is not too much to say 
that every leaf that is produced on woody plants in 
our climate after the end of August is a direct robber 
of the parent plant, because, in the first instance, 
every leaf or inch of young wood that is made at any 
season is formed out of food previously digested bv 
older leaves of the same season, or by those of former 
