THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, February 2, 1858. 
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on a bed as above; and it is surprising the mass of roots 
they make. There is no check; for the roots are ready for 
the leaves, which unfold very strong.—J. A. L. 
[There can be no question of the success of the mode 
you detail, if the whole minutise are attended to. An 
error in these minutise will be dangerous ; and, besides, 
when thoroughly attended to, you gain no more than might 
be attained in the autumn without such minute attention. 
We have several times, on a small scale, practised a similar 
mode, but we have always been afraid to recommend it; 
because when we once did so, oiu’ acquaintance let his dung- 
bed get so hot, that the roots were thoroughly done for. 
Your letter is very interesting, a3 showing that there are 
gardeners among us, who, instead of being the slaves, or the 
creatures of circumstances, can make these circumstances 
bend to their will and pleasure. It was recorded the other 
year, that Mr. Thompson, of Dalkeith, raised and replanted 
his Vines in May and June, secured what fruit he chose to 
leave, and such fresh-made wood as bore a full, heavy, 
general crop the season following. We should not greatly 
err if we said, that with your knowledge and attention, you 
could raise and transplant Vines at any period.' Rut just 
because we despair of many of our readers being able to give 
that attention, we would be a little cautious in recommending 
such a plan to their notice. There are also fair counter¬ 
acting influences. Many Vines are so planted, that they could 
not be taken out of the house without difficulty. We have 
alluded to the care necessary for the hotbed. It frequently 
happens, that February and March are not very propitious 
months for doing fresh work in making borders. We must 
expect the ground at that time to be very cold indeed. The 
success of the plan greatly depends on allowing the roots to 
receive no check; and this you guard against by heating the 
border before or immediately after the roots are laid out, with 
a copious watering, with water at 100°. But what ii the soil 
is already soaked with rain or snow ; or by either means so 
cooled, that raising its temperatime would make it like a 
morass; the very excess of moisture, having a tendency to 
rot, and destroy the very tender fresh spongiolets ? True, 
this might be partly guarded against, by using canvass, &c., 
for keeping the border dry ; but then this is again having 
recourse to minutise. In planting under such circumstances, 
avc would prefer covering the roots with the decayed leaf 
mould Avarm from the bed, instead of fine soil at first, 
just because we have frequently noticed that roots once used 
to such open material, will frequently die back, when placed 
at once in contact with soil, however fine. You recom¬ 
mend, and rightly, a covering with dry leaves and straw, to 
keep in the heat from your hot watering ; and, we presume, 
to throw some heat in likewise, in order that the part below 
ground of the Vines, may be in full activity before the buds 
begin to swell by the heat of the sun. You do not say 
Avhetlier this covering of dry leaves and straw is intended to 
heat the border or not. If the leaves are very dry they will 
not heat it much ; and even if they are dampish, the heat will 
not penetrate into the soil to any great depth, unless the 
covering is thick and heats violently. A depth of fifteen to 
eighteen inches of leaves, neither wet nor dry, would secure a 
medium temperature of from 55° to 60° to your border, at, 
say, six inches from the surface; and your new roots will not 
be much deeper than that at first. That temperature could not 
be given from the hot ivater alone: and if by any means the 
roots are chilled, there Avould be the danger of a severe check. 
Now, if, after all, the covering is to give a main chance of 
success—though we look upon your system as valuable, as 
showing what may be done, and done successfully, in extreme 
circumstances ; we do not see why we should not succeed 
equally well, by just replanting the Vines a month earlier, 
| without any extra soaking of Avater at that time ; and then 
: make this “ good covering ” so efficient as a heating medium, 
I that the upper eight inches or so of the border should range 
| from 55° to 70° in temperature, and thus the roots be excited 
l with the least chance of their receiving after-checks. Then, the 
i question returns again, When is the best time for performing 
; the transplanting operation, attended with least trouble, and 
with fewest risks of failure, when the work is to be done by 
comparatively inexperienced hands ? And here, with all due 
deference, and with many thanks for the detail of your 
system, which we have no doubt will answer well, we must 
say that avc prefer the autumn, from the middle of September 
to the middle of October; and, other things being equal, the 
earlier the better ; and chiefly because the wood then will be 
pret ty well matured: the foliage that may remain will help the 
rooting process ; but chiefly because the earth is so warm, that 
roots will bo formed in abundance before winter, and espe¬ 
cially if any means are taken to keep off cold rains, and 
prevent radiation of heat dui'ing cold nights. A slight cover¬ 
ing of leaves, &c„ Avill enable the underground part to 
keep working all the Avinter. A thermometer or tAvo, fixed in 
the border, will enable you to judge of its temperature to a 
nicety, at any time. The mode adopted by Mr. Judd, at 
Althorp, and especially with liis early vineries, is one well 
Avorthy of imitation. Pipes of iron, or earthenware, are placed 
in a line longitudinally along the border, and several inches 
beloAV the surface. A thermometer is placed in these pipes, 
fastened securely to a long pole, and may be draAvn out and 
examined at pleasure. 
It is of importance, in the case of all transplanted Vines, 
that the roots should be in full action before the tops are 
excited. “ J. A. L. ” secures this. Planting in autumn does 
the same. But though these are our present ideas, we are 
not the less thankful for “ J. A. L.’s ” views ; and we hope 
several readers will act upon them, and report accordingly.] 
LIST OF PHLOXES. 
I now send you, as promised, for publication in your 
valuable paper, a list of twenty-four Phloxes : some of them, 
as a keen amateur, I consider first-class, and all w'ell worth 
growing. I grow thirty-six sorts ; and those sent are the 
pick. Baron Joe , may not come up to the standard as to 
form, but it is very striking. 
I give the colours ; but Avill say nothing as to the heights 
of the different sorts, as I have not paid particular attention 
to this, and might mislead. I am not far Avrong, however, in 
saying that from tAvo to three feet is about the average. 
I grow them in one straight row, as a backing for a her¬ 
baceous border of moderate growth (no coarse plants) ; and 
I consider they produce a finer effect than Avhen planted in 
beds. I have a sujfruticosa and decussata turn about, 
which keeps up a succession.—W m. McWaedrop. 
Twelve Varieties oe Phlox Sueeruticosa :— 
Addisonii , white, centre light carmine, 
f Countess of Morion , pure white, 
i Countess of Home, white, crimson centre. 
Roi de Leopoldii , striped. 
Abdul Medschid Khan , rosy blush. 
Prima Donna, pale rose lilac, 
t Colonel Dundas, purple. 
Leonida , rosy purple. 
J Purpurea nova, dark rosy purple, 
f Princess, light rosy puce. 
Purpurea magnifica , rosy lilac, 
f Mrs. F. Winfield , lilacky puce. 
Twelve Varieties oe Phlox Decussata:— 
f Madame Fontaine, white, very bright pink eye ; excellent, 
t Madame Clarisse Fontaine, Avhite, pink eye, fine form; 
excellent. 
f Madame Albertine , white, rosy eye. 
Fxquisite, shaded blush. 
Baron Joe, Avhite, red eye. 
j* Princess Mathilde, rosy lilac. 
Admiral Linois, deep rose, carmine centre, 
j* General Brea, rosy scarlet. 
Lychnfiora, rosy purple, carmine centre. 
Madame Shibaud, rosy purple, deep crimson eye. 
f Madame Thomanii , dark crimson, 
t President McKarol, rosy crimson. 
ROOKERY SOIL FOR AMERICAN PLANTS. 
Having had a feAV years’ experience in using the above- 
named soil, I can highly recommend it as a substitute for 
bog soil for American plants. 
