1G6 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[ November, 
the Florist and Pomologist. Our soil is of 
various characters, in some parts stiff clay, in 
others loam on a bed of gravel. Yet they do 
well, and are equally vigorous on all. The land 
is prepared in the autumn by deep ploughing. 
It is then allowed to remain until it becomes 
dry enough in the spring to be harrowed and 
well pulverised. Planting commences about 
the first week in March. The ground is 
marked out in beds 4 ft. wide, with 2 ft. paths ; 
the choice sorts are planted in drills from 6 in. 
to 12 in. apart, and covered from 2 in. to 3 in. 
deep; the hardy, common sorts are drilled in, 
and covered over with the plough, in the same 
way as Potatoes are usually planted. No nos¬ 
trums are placed round or over the bulbs, as 
recommended by some. Such treatment is quite 
unneeded ; in fact, I believe it is injurious. The 
beds should be kept free from weeds during their 
growth; and when spikes are wanted for exhi¬ 
bition, the ground should be mulched over 
with half-rotten manure, and the plants well 
supplied with manure-water in dry weather. 
About the beginning of October, or when the 
foliage begins to turn yellow, the conns should 
be taken up and laid in an airy shed to dry 
gradually. After the sap has returned to the 
conns, and the stalks have become dry, they 
should be severed from the bulbs, the latter 
being taken to the store-room and laid upon 
shelves out of the way of frost, until plant¬ 
ing time.— James Ivelway, Gladioli Villa , 
Lang port ^ Somerset. 
RONDELETIA SPECIOSA MAJOR. 
UEING- this dull period of the year, 
when flowers are somewhat scarce, 
any which are of a brilliant colour 
are especially valuable for cutting purposes. 
It is with this fact in view that I would say a 
few words in reference to the usefulness of the 
old stove favourite whose name stands at the 
head, and which is not so common as it ought 
to be. The plant, indeed, when met with, 
does not usually present a very luxuriant ap¬ 
pearance, the foliage being generally of a rusty 
hue. It, however, succeeds well in a mixture 
of two parts fibry peat and one part light turfy 
loam, with a good sprinkling of silver-sand, 
and should be potted rather firmly, and afforded 
good drainage, which is very essential. This 
Rondeletia delights in a good heat and a moist 
atmosphere when growing, and when in good 
health produces flowers early in the summer. 
When this blossoming is over, and the plants 
have made their growth, they may be stood 
outdoors in a sheltered position for a few 
weeks ; and if housed in September, they will 
then produce a second supply of flowers, that 
will prove useful at the present time (October). 
They are, like most stove-plants, liable to insect 
pests, especially the scale ; and from the rough, 
brittle nature of the foliage, they are not tract¬ 
able plants to clean. The best course is to 
wash off the scale with a tooth-brush and soapy 
water, syringing the leaves with clear water, so 
as to remove all stains of the soap before they 
become dry. —George Potts, Jun., Epsom. 
TRANSPLANTING TREES AND 
SHRUBS. 
CwOT is to be regretted that in this department 
^ p of the garden, the many ornamental sub- 
jects introduced during the last half- 
century are too frequently overlooked by 
planters and garden artistes. Let us hope 
that more and more use may be made of them. 
As regards the work of transplanting, there 
can be no doubt that the autumn, shortly after 
the fall of the leaf, is the best season for all 
the subjects which have deciduous foliage. 
Evergreens may be removed at almost any 
season of the year, if they can be lifted with a 
ball of earth ; but, for difficult subjects, the 
spring, just as they are pushing into active 
growth, is no doubt the best time for the opera¬ 
tion. 
If the soil is at all heavy, the work should 
be done, if possible, before much rain has 
fallen. In placing the plant, the roots should 
always be well separated and surrounded with 
earth—that is, the earth should envelope the 
whole of their surface ; treading it down, when it 
is stiff and wet, is, however, prejudicial. In a 
general way, trees should not be planted so as 
to bury the neck or collar, as it is called ; but 
in dry, gravelly soils, they may be planted a 
little deeper than would be advisable if the 
soil is of a heavy nature. 
Where there is any danger of their wind- 
waving, the trees or shrubs should be securely 
staked as soon as they are planted, or the 
waving of the stem will have the effect of draw¬ 
ing the roots from the position in which they 
were laid out. With all late-planted trees, or 
