THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 4, 1859. 21 1 
checked in growth for two or three months, but not longer, by 
being pruned very late in the spring; but it is radically bad 
practice. Pruning in any shape, or at any season, should never 
be resorted to as a means of checking over-growth, because the 
effects of pruning,-in the long run, go exactly on the opposite 
track namely, to increase the vigour of a plant. Roses, which 
are just as good, as healthy, and as strong as is required, should 
be pruned in February ; but there is not one Rose in a hundred 
which is in such good condition, and all those which are not, “gain 
everything” by being pruned from the middle of October to the , 
end of November, according to their strength, beginning with the 
weakest. It must be “fancy,” as you say, to believe, or suppose, 
that autumn pruning stops, or in any way checks, the winter 
growth of roots. Take two plants of any kind in your garden, , 
from a Currant to a Peach, or an Oak ; transplant them, or 
put them in by the heels in October; let one of them be pruned 
like a new Rose to the last three or four buds,—or, if a tree, to ' 
the shape of a pollard,-—and let the other go in with all its grow th 
untouched. Take both up at the beginning of March, aud, if j 
they were of equal strength of root, the new roots on the pruned 
will be just as long, as strong, and as numerous, as those on the 
unpruned, and, in nine cases out of ten, more so. We have 
seen this tested a score of times, and we tested it ourselves, and 
recorded the test as late as last year. Another exceedingly bad 
practice is, to remove, in winter or spring, such Roses as were 
only budded the preceding summer : that, and the supposed 
strength of the young heads which started from buds as late as 
July, have been the ruin of ten thousand Roses on the Dog Rose 
stock. These young heads on old shoulders have not one-tenth 
of the vigour necessary to draw out the stock, so it grows the 
wrong way, and there is no way then of righting it.] 
DIGGING AMONGST STRAWBERRIES. 
A correspondent (J. 11) inquires, if there be any harm in this? 
—to which a sort of qualified answer must be given. In moist 
soils, where the roots are near the surface, digging amongst them 
is nearly as barbarous as digging amongst Rhododendrons, 
where they are closely packed together in a bod; but where 
Strawberries are grown in light soil, and in row's from two and a 
half to three feet apart, there is space for a slight stirring of the 
soil—say, three inches deep or so. But even then, this stirring, 
or digging, if it must be so called, ought only to be done to cover 
any manure that may be put on, or it may be done for appearance. 
As there is a great temptation to give the Strawberry quarter 
some sort of dressing in the autumn, this slight picking up with 
a spud, or fork, will be better than digging. But in some dis¬ 
tricts, where the top soil is shallow, and the ground and climate 
moist, the plants usually throw out roots near the surface, in 
which case no digging or spudding over ought ever to be at¬ 
tempted. If it be necessary to give it a freshened appearance, 
a sprinkling of fresh soil may be thrown over the ground in 
autumn, after all runners and weeds have been cleared away. 
As our correspondent says his soil is light, we can only advise him 
to deepen it by trenching, or adding soil of a stiffer kind ; and 
by adopting the other modes of culture mentioned in these pages, 
not forgetting to give his plants plenty of room, it is likely he 
will succeed hereafter. 
TRANSPLANTING EVERGREENS. 
It has been truly said by the wisest of men, that “ there is a 
time for everything under the sun.” The validity of this 
aphorism has never been questioned, only it remains for us to de¬ 
termine when the “ proper time ” is, for the manifold objects 
which wealth and a high state of civilisation have rendered 
necessary to be done. Long-continued practice, varied by sundry 
experiments, has decided, in a great measure, when it is the best 
time to sow and plant the important crops which form the staple 
of our existence. And many things, which in like manner tend to 
gratify our tastes and pleasures, have become so well known, that 
their culture has worked itself into a system which it would be 
difficult to improve to any great extent. Nevertheless, there arc 
some duties, or undertakings, upon which public opinion is so 
much divided, that it cannot yet be said that we have all dis¬ 
covered when i» the light time to do it. Of this kind is the one 
which forms the leading subject of this article,—the transplanting 
of evergreens. And even if I were asked when the best time 
was, 1 should have to qualify the answer in such a way, as to 
give considerable scope to the operator. The subject being of so 
comprehensive a nature, that if would, perhaps, be better to give 
some of its parts in detail,—I will begin with one of the most 
common of shrubs, 
The Common IjAtniEL. — This very useful and ornamental 
shrub adapts itself to all soils and situations, but seems to prefer 
a dry, stoney soil, in which chalk rather than iron prevails. It 
transplants with more case than most shrubs, but almost in¬ 
variably looks badly for the first year, after which—if the soil be 
suitable—it progresses rapidly, and is so convenient and hardy, 
that it may be removed at almost any time. I think I have 
removed and planted common Laurels ’every month in the year, 
and have generally found May about the best, and March the 
worst month: the cold, withering winds at the latter mouth 
are more hurtful than even a Midsummer’s sun. But it would 
be better to avoid June and July, if other months would do. 
Perhaps May and September may be regarded the best, the 
weather at the time, and nature of the soil they have to be 
planted in, having much to do with their well-being. But, if the 
soil should be dry at cither of these times, a good watering at 
the time of planting will be of great service; and showery 
weather—especially in May—will bo also beneficial. In Sep¬ 
tember this is partly substituted by flic long nights and heavy 
dews; for, be it remembered, the foliage of an evergreen—tree 
or shrub—requires feeding as well as its roots. 
Holly. —This tree, though much hardier than the common 
Laurel, certainly does not transplant so well. But May and 
September may also be regarded the best months for this, the 
former month especially being said to be the most propitious. 
Much of the success of Holly planting depends, like that of 
most other things, on the condition of the plant to be moved. 
Plants self-sown, and grown in a wood, transplant badly, when 
about three feet high. A still’ soil, or one that contains iron in 
greater or less quantity, is the best- for the Holly ; and very dry 
or chalky soils the most unsuitable. Plants from a nursery, that 
have not stood too long in one place, are best to remove. 
Box.—To a common observer, live closely-matted condition of 
the roots of this plant imply it to bo of easy removal, and with 
certain success. But this is not always the case, for, though the 
manipulation be easily accomplished, and the plant, apparently, 
takes no harm for some time, it does not always flourish. Com¬ 
mon and almost universal os this plant is, it will not grow on 
every soil. I have seen a nobleman’s garden where they sub¬ 
stituted Oak planks for Box edgings, owing to the latter not 
thriving ; and even at this place it is far from healthy, large 
patches dying off, even without any cutting at all; and other 
places are the same. Generally speaking, Holly and Box thrive 
on the same soils ; but the larger variety, or Tree Box, will do on 
a much lighter soil tjjftn the dwarf kind. And it is even possible 
that such a soil suits it best, for we all know, that, although the 
stocks of Apples may be all alike, certain soils suit certain kinds 
' better than others do; and. the same maybe said of Box. I 
j have seen Box edging of so dwarf a kind, as not to require 
clipping for three or four years, and yet remain healthy ; and 
why not also require a different soil. But a stiff soil suits Box 
best, and it transplants pretty well any month, except when just 
in the midst of its growth, and even then a little care will secure 
j its success. 
Portugal Laurel. — This is, unquestionably, one of the 
worst shrubs to plant and do well. Allied, in a certaju degree, 
to the stone fruits, which dislike mutilations at either top or root, 
and with the disadvantage of being an evergreen with a large 
foliage to support, the Portugal Laurel has always been a difficult 
plant to deal with. But when once established, and in good 
health, no plant looks better; aud by taking proper care at 
planting time, there may be a greater certainty of the plant 
doing well than is usually the case. From repeated trials, I 
I have found the roots to be in the most active condition in Sep¬ 
tember, the copious dews at that season being also favour¬ 
able to the healthy maintenance of the foliage. That month may 
be regarded as the best for planting this shrub. But what I 
regard as the principal feature of success, is, the proper way of 
taking the plant up, a ball not being of so much consequence 
here as the whole of the roots uninjured by the process. A ball 
may be of service to a Rhododendron or a Box ; but to a 
Portugal or common Laurel, Holly, or in fact most other shrubs, 
whose roots consist of a quantity of tliick, fleshy stems, running 
. to a considerable distance from the collar of the plant, and with 
I but a sparing supply of fibres attached to them,—such roots ought 
