134 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, June 7, 185'J. 
which common water might give it, even though that 
water was previously well exposed. 
Comparative dryness, so as to he easily worked, is 
nearly of as much consequence as warmth; in fact, they 
generally go together. This dryness is nearly as essential 
to bedding plants as to sowing of tender seeds. If the 
beds are at all of any size, so that you must step on them 
or use boards for your feet, the ground—especially if the 
soil is at all of a stiHish nature—will become so consoli¬ 
dated that it will not become a kind of foster-nurse for 
the plants during the whole season. Experience would 
say, instead of planting out in such wet soil, “Wait 
patiently for a fortnight, if necessary even longer, and 
the future success of the plants, when turned out in well- 
aired, pulverised-heated, and dried soil, will more than 
compensate you for the patience of waiting a little longer.” 
3. The mode of watering, though simple, also constitutes 
an element of success. The general mode is to plant the 
bed or border, and then water all the plants from the 
surface. The consequences are, that, in very hot days, 
the moisture is soon evaporated, the soil is cooled in 
consequence, and in clear nights that extra cooling is 
greatly promoted. When the plants show distress the 
process is repeated, and by-and-by the surface of the 
bed becomes pretty well as impervious to air as an iron 
pan ; and the operator shakes his head, and wonders why, 
with all his waterings, the plants will not grow. Though 
far from believing our mode to be anything superior, I 
humbly submit it to notice, confident that many amateurs 
by adopting it may save much watering, and also be 
gratified with more success. As soon as the plants of a 
ring or two in a circle, or part of a row in a bed, are put 
in their places by means of a trowel, and are well fastened 
there by the hands, but so that the earth removed is not 
all returned, but a basin of from one to two inches from 
the surface of the border is left, the plants receive just 
as much water as will thoroughly moisten all their fibres 
and the earth around them, so as to furnish moisture 
enough for absorption for some time. The plants, if to be 
kept up, are then secured in their places by sticks or 
twigs, &c., and by that time all the moisture having been 
absorbed, the dryish earth is put over the basin, and left 
in rather an open comfortable condition. So the work 
goes on; the moisture surrounding the roots, the dryish 
soil covering the top, which both prevents the moisture 
freely escaping and the soil about the roots getting 
greatly more cooled than when the plants were turned 
out. Of course, in very sunny days we expect some of 
the leaves of the plants to flag; but, knowing there is 
enough of moisture at the roots, we attribute the 
flagging to the leaves, at first, perspiring more than 
the roots in their new position are able to absorb; 
and, therefore, to help them, we do not deluge the roots, 
which are wet enough already, but we either shade the 
plants, or sprinkle them repeatedly with a syringe, or a 
garden engine, to lessen evaporation from the foliage. 
When, in dry weather in June and July, the plants 
actually want watering, we give it in moderation at the 
roots from the surface ; and, as after that time the soil is 
hot enough for anything, we stir the surface of the ground 
as soon as it is dry enough, either with a fork or Dutch 
hoe, to prevent the mass of the soil getting much warmer, 
and to prevent the moisture escaping into the common 
atmosphere instead of constituting a store round the 
roots. When visited with refreshing rains their benefit 
is rendered more lasting by similar surface stirrings, until 
the beds become so covered with flowers and foliage as 
to take care of themselves. We have noticed repeated 
heavy waterings given in June, when less than a tithe 
of the quantity of liquid sprinked on the foliage would 
have been attended with more beneficial results. Eew 
of our favourite bedding plants delight in the marsh or 
the quagmire, and yet the culture often given would lead 
to the idea that water and watering were the only in- 
dispensables for their successful culture. Something will 
| be gained if the impression gain ground, that, provided 
! the T’oots are placed within reach of a sufficiency of 
moisture, every quartern, gill, or pint given above that 
sufficiency, and especially in the first four or six weeks 
after planting, will be attended with unfavourable, rather 
than favourable, results. The next-to-surpassing grandeur 
of many grouped flower gardens last season was owing to 
the dryness of the summer. 
Once more. The soil should not only be open, deep 
stirred, well pulverised, &c., when we commence, but it 
should be left in the same state when we finish planting. 
In planting rival beds I have tried two plans. The 
ground, previously well stirred and dried, was rolled, so 
that the feet of the planters should not make a great im¬ 
pression, which is a better plan than using boards, which 
do very well, however, for small beds. In one of these, 
the feet of the planter not sinking very much, the holes 
were made for the plants, watered as above, covered, and 
left. In the other, the surface was stirred for the first 
row; and when that was finished, the ground was forked 
up, levelled, and made ready for the second, and so on, 
leaving the whole bed level and loose, the soil pressed im¬ 
mediately round each plant being the closest and firmest. 
The last bed took and maintained the mastery all the 
season, though from forking and hoeing, &c., the first bed 
had ten times more labour bestowed on it during the 
summer. The first mode was by far the quickest at the 
time ; in fact, with the exception of using a trowel, the 
plants are put in as quickly as a plantation of Cabbages. 
The second mode required more labour and time at the 
period of planting ; but in addition to the greater rapidity 
of growth, time and labour, as to the season, were ulti¬ 
mately saved. The mere rapidity, therefore, with which 
a number of beds are planted, is anything but always a 
clear gain. 
Lastly. Most of our bedding plants are naturally in¬ 
clined to grow too much in the autumn months, and 
especially if the soil has been at all enriched. The period 
the plants require manurial assistance is just when planted; 
and, therefore, a little leaf mould round the plant will not 
only give that assistance, but encourage surface rooting, 
and, consequently, free flowering. After the soil gets hot 
enough by the end of June—if the season should prove 
hot and dry—a little mulching of riddled leaf mould, or 
very rolten dung, would prevent evaporation of moisture 
from the soil, keep it cool, and when rain comes, would, 
from the enriching material being supplied from the 
surface, contribute even then as much to the production 
of extra flowering as extra leaf-making. It. Eish. 
VINES AND VINE-BORDERS. 
Theke are, among the many and varied pursuits of the gar¬ 
dener, few objects which are so worthy of his most earnet' 
attention as the production of good Grapes. If they fail witli 
him he is likely to “ shank off” himself; while if they (on the 
contrary) flourish, it is an atonement for a multitude of other 
little failures. 
We, who live in the present day, arc more and more surprised 
as time progresses with the great feats of horticultural skill which 
we witness, and which result from the division of labour in gar¬ 
dening. Wo find one man devoting all his time and efforts 
enthusiastically to the culture of Pines ; another to Grapes; and 
so on through all t he departments of gardening. By these means, 
and our exhibitions, the public taste becomes elevated, and our 
employers acquire an abundance of fruit, and that too, of the 
finest quality. 
I would not here advise a gardener to make a speciality of 
Grape growing to the exclusion of the cultivation of culinary 
vegetables, or the neglect of flowers, no has ample scope for his 
genius in many directions ; and he who occupies a large place, and 
has to do things well in all its departments, at least has no 
sinecure. 
But to our thesis, the Vine. This noble fruit tree is, of all we 
cultivate, perhaps the most ill-used. It is planted hi rich, highly- 
manured borders, stimulated into rampant and luxuriant growth, 
