34 
THE FLOBIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
[March, 
especially during winter, they invariably stand 
a season or two without moving into growth. 
Preparation of soil by trenching, and w'ell 
breaking it when placed next the roots, is of 
great moment. When we hear of failures in 
plantations, and the nurseryman is blamed for 
sending out “ inferior stuff,” we are curious 
to know how the work has been manipulated 
at planting time. In heavy clay land the 
roots do not take hold readily, and if trees are 
planted during a wet period they are apt to 
die off in great numbers, but in light soil 
the case is quite different. 
If clay soil, when wet or sodden, is placed 
to the roots of plants, the danger of killing 
them, or at least keeping the plants a long 
time in a stunted condition, is very great 
indeed. The presence of loose open soil to 
entice the roots into active growth the first 
season is of great moment, and when land is 
trenched, opening the bottom well to let 
drenchings of rain pass off is important. We 
have examined the roots both of large and 
small trees after death had thinned plantations 
immensely, and when the fault had been attri¬ 
buted to want of water, but facts proved that 
the real evil was the presence of water which 
had collected in quantity, and remained about 
the roots as if in a sealed vessel. Holes large 
and deep had been dug into the tenacious land, 
and when the rain filled the holes there was 
no escape through the solid mass, in conse¬ 
quence of which the roots rotted, and when 
sun and drought set in the plants perished, 
there being nothing to support them. 
In trenched land with the bottom turned over 
roughly, the case is always the opposite ; be¬ 
sides, it is well known that a mass of soil 
turned over and well broken is much greater 
proof against drought than when it is con¬ 
solidated like bricks. On banks and hills 
trees and shrubs often luxuriate, while in the 
valleys close by they may often be seen perish¬ 
ing. In these cases, first, soddened sour soil, 
then drought, are the destroyers. 
Keeping the trees firm in their positions by 
stakes is very important, but large ones are 
more easily managed with ropes extending 
from short stakes (driven firmly into the 
ground) to the trunks of the trees. Three 
stakes should be placed in the ground at equal 
distances apart, and the ropes fastened at one 
height round the trunk, which must be well 
protected with cloth, hay-bands [old india- 
rubber hose split open], or some other material 
to save the bark. We have always noticed 
that the trees do best with soil made firm 
about the roots, and a coating of loose soil, 
say six inches, placed over the surface as 
mulching. 
When visiting large places as well as small 
ones, it is common enough to see the planting 
of shrubs and trees done in the most inju¬ 
dicious manner, neither views nor surround 
ings having received the least consideration, 
but what is called “ dotting ” being visible 
everywhere, which is simply placing plants 
at regular distances all over the grounds, for¬ 
getting that great breadths of grass viewed 
through wide openings between clumps or 
single trees, are beauties which never fail to 
be attractive. By “dotting” every distant 
object in the landscape is shut out, and a blind 
formed with trees which, though not placed 
thickly, may be sufiiciently close to shut out 
all that it is desirable to keep in view. 
Lawns in front of mansions, instead of being 
open and free from encumbrance with trees 
and shrubs, are often “dotted,” so that no 
prospect is left. One of the most ruinous 
practices of the present time is that of cutting 
up lawns into flower-beds—placing figures 
among trees and filling them with flowers— 
curtailing and rendering insignificant what 
otherwise might have been pleasing and beau¬ 
tiful. We have often seen avenues, and large 
breadths of trees, sometimes giants of the 
forest, interfered with by having the ground 
broken up around them, deep enough to injure 
their roots, and a surface prepared, in which 
are planted a heterogeneous mixture of trees 
and shrubs, hiding the noble trunks, remov¬ 
ing what was, or ought to have been, clean 
green grass, and leaving an impression that 
there was present something obnoxious to be 
hidden by such a procedure, while, instead of 
giving an appearance of extension, the demesne 
is cramped and disfigured. Small places are 
by such practice rendered more diminutive 
still, and being shut in, become dull and un¬ 
attractive. 
Another method of deforming parks and 
pleasure-grounds is by introducing what are 
known as “ serpentine ” lines—which generally 
