October 22, 1887. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
121 
PLANTING SHRUBS. 
Where evergreen shrubs are intended to be re¬ 
planted this season no time should be lost in making 
a start, for most plants move much better during the 
present month than at any other time, and with a 
better chance of securing growth the next summer, 
particularly if the trees are large. The' very dry 
summer just passed proved very clearly that early 
autumn planting is much safer than spring operations, 
both with small and large trees. Particularly in cold 
districts is early planting needful to ensure success, 
because where the soil is of a cold, heavy, retentive 
nature the winter rains so thoroughly chill it, that a 
long way into the spring months must pass before it 
again becomes warm. Anyone having a soil of this 
class to contend with knows full well the difficulty 
there is to get growth in the spring early on the move, 
whilst vegetables, too, show plain enough that early 
growth is not obtainable nearly so soon in a heavy soil 
as in one of a light sandy character. Therefore, I 
advise all who have any shrub-moving in contemplation 
—especially in soils of the class I have named—to 
commence operations while warmth is yet retained in 
the earth, thus giving the trees re-planted an oppor¬ 
tunity to form fresh roots ere the winter rains chill it 
so much that rooting becomes a slow process. 
The soil, too, at this season is in a much better state 
for removal than during the months of March or April 
for instance. October is often a dry month, thus the 
soil is in the right condition, neither too wet nor too 
dry ; but if the latter condition is a fact, generally as 
we find it is so here, water is easily applied at the 
time of planting, and generally with advantage. A 
month makes a lot of difference to newly planted trees 
as regards the time at which the operation is carried out, 
and more so if a summer succeeds the re-planting like 
the one just past. I had experience of this during last 
Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus maximus. 
month in noting the number of deaths in several 
plantations of Larches, which were planted during the 
last season. The trees were all alike regarding size, 
being from 2, ft. to 3 ft. high, stout well-rooted stuff. 
Out of 50,000 planted during the corresponding month 
of last year, and 1885, 11,000 have died, while of 
the same number planted during December, January 
and February, more than double the number have 
died. The severe winter deferred the latter part of the 
planting longer than would have been the case other¬ 
wise. This is, again, another excellent reason why all 
planting of shrubs and trees should he done in the 
autumn ; there is not near so much risk of being 
stopped in the operation by frost and snow, as there 
is when planting is deferred until the turn of the year ; 
the work can also be performed much quicker when 
the soil is drier, thus a saving of time is gained, and 
this is worth consideration where a large number have 
to be planted. In all fairness, it should be said, that 
a great many deaths, in fact, the larger share, was 
owing to the very dry weather experienced during June 
and July ; the trees commenced to grow, forming 
growths in many cases half-an-inch long, then for 
want of moisture they succumbed. This, also, is 
more noticeable in the latest planted trees, they having 
had no time to establish themselves in the smallest 
Narcissus Backhousei. 
degree ; thus they had only the bare roots with which 
they were planted to withstand an unusual test. 
I consider I have sufficiently shown why early 
planting is the best, and my remarks are entirely based 
upon practice during the last ten seasons. I will now 
venture to give a few hints upon the best means of 
effecting the removal and re-planting of shrubs, with 
the hope that they may be of benefit to some readers 
who may not have had an opportunity of testing the 
relative merits of early and late planting. Where a 
mixed collection of Conifers and evergreen shrubs has to 
be dealt with, through having become too thickly grown 
together, a re-arrangement is necessary, but it is 
a mistake to plant all indiscriminately in the same 
natural soil. This may be a convenient way of pushing 
forward the work, but it is ten chances to one that all 
shrubs planted will thrive equally well under the same 
treatment. A careful observation of the varieties will 
soon impart the necessary information, by the appear¬ 
ance of the present subjects. Some will thrive in 
almost any soil, while others will simply exist for a 
time, getting gradually shabbier in appearance by 
reason of the loss of leaves, or “ feather ” in the case of 
Conifers. Two instances of these I will cite to show 
what is meant. Abies canadensis (the Hemlock Spruce) 
and Retinospora obtusa, in a soil that is heavy and 
mixed with chalk, will scarcely live—indeed, the former 
refuses to grow at all, the points of the shoots dying ; 
the latter loses its inside and lower leaves, and in 
the end dies entirely. This happens to both these 
through their not making any fresh roots in the natural 
soil, therefore it is a mistake to plant such Conifers in 
unsuitable places ; such varieties, if not too large, and 
have healthy roots (which is scarcely to be expected if 
the branches are not in a healthy condition), should 
have all the soil shaken from them. A mixture of 
sandy peat and leaf-soil is the best compost to use in 
this case for the first season, whilst afterwards some 
well-decomposed manure should be added, by removing 
the soil at a distance from the plants, so that it is not 
placed directly in contact with the roots in a mass. 
Such trees planted in this manner should have a good 
mulching of manure laid on the surface as soon as 
planted, for this retains moisture and warmth in the 
winter, and during the following summer is of immense 
advantage, keeping the roots cool and near the surface, 
in which position they ought to be. 
Many trees of this class (and of all classes, in fact) are 
planted much too deep in the soil, thus removing the 
roots far too low from the sun’s influence. If the 
new soil added is moist when used, it will not be 
necessary to give any water at planting time. Where 
ordinary shrubs, such as English, Irish or golden Yews, 
common Hollies, Portugal or common Laurels, Scotch 
Firs or Austrian Pines, and the like have to be planted, 
the ordinary soil is good enough if some rotted manure 
be added, whilst even common Laurels are much im¬ 
proved by its use. The colour of the leaves of those 
kinds growing in poor soil is of a very pale hue com¬ 
pared to the foliage when manure is used in planting, 
as then they assume a dense green. Care should be 
Narcissus triandrus. 
exercised in moving all shrubs—even the commonest 
repay by their after growth a little pains bestowed 
upon lifting them—with a good ball of soil attached ; 
for example, a shrub 5 ft. to 6 ft. high should have a 
ball of soil 3 ft. in diameter if possible. Commence 
by digging a trench round the tree at the distance 
named, and at a sufficient width to ensure convenience 
in removing the soil ; when the bottom of the roots 
are reached, or sufficiently so to ensure safe removal, 
commence by undermining the tree and taking out the 
soil round and under the tree until the shrub stands 
upon a very narrow base. The easiest way to 
remove trees of the size named is to have a square cloth, 
