92 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 11, 1890. 
The Amateurs’ Garden. 
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SEASONABLE WORK in the GARDEN. 
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Bouvardias. —To induce a free display of bloom, 
plants of this class must now he kept in a night tem¬ 
perature of 60°. They should be stood near the glass 
in large houses, but a low-roofed house is the more 
preferable, and when it is a span-roofed structure, the 
plants get a maximum of light which suits them 
admirably. Yentilate freely on every favourable 
opportunity to prevent their getting drawn, and syringe 
lightly in fine weather unless the plants are in full 
bloom. A bed of shingle or ashes would help to main¬ 
tain a moist atmosphere about them. 
Chrysanthemum frutescens. —The old plants 
of this in pots should be removed to a light airy green¬ 
house before sufficient frost occurs to harm them. 
They will gradually come into bloom and last up till 
Christmas. A nice stock of plants may be obtained 
for late spring work by striking a batch of plants now. 
Stout, healthy, moderately firm cuttings about 4 ins. 
long should be selected, and inserted, a few together in 
small pots. Keep close for a time in a moderately 
cool pit or frame till they commence to root, when they 
may be transferred to the shelf of a greenhouse to 
prevent their becoming drawn. 
Hard-wooded Plants.—The houses in which 
Ericas, Epacris, Cytisus, Azaleas, and other subjects 
are stored should, especially at this season, be kept as 
cool as possible. This can easily be done during the 
prevalence of moderately fine weather, at least il dry, 
by giving an abundance of air, with a little even at 
night if not frosty. To keep the house closed would 
excite them into growth prematurely or encourage the 
spread of mildew, which should be kept in check by 
timely applications or dustings of flour of sulphur. 
Caladiums. — In ripening off the tubers of 
Caladiums it will be well to remember that they should 
not be stood in a cold greenhouse, pit or frame, but 
placed in some out-of-the-way corner in a warm pit or 
stove where a night temperature of 60° is maintained. 
Gradually withhold water to induce ripening and cause 
the foliage to die down. Retain the tubers iu the soil 
in which they have been grown all the summer, and 
although they require very little moisture while at 
rest, it will be well, however, to give the soil a 
sprinkling with a rosed watering-pot occasionally, and 
all will be well. 
Vines.—Where the crop has been ripe for some 
time, and is still hanging, the bunches should be ex¬ 
amined occasionally to remove any decayed berries, 
thereby preventing them from spoiling others. To 
encourage the ripening of the wood, remove all laterals 
beyond the bunches and all late growths, so as to admit 
sun and air freely amongst the foliage and stems that 
are left. Assist with artificial heat and ventilate freely. 
The pruning of pot Vines for early forcing should no 
longer be delayed if it has not been seen to previously. 
Cut the laterals above a good, plump bud, and dress 
the wounds with styptic after they are dry. 
Raspberries. —The old stems may now be cut 
away to admit of the young ones receiving a maximum 
of light, with a free circulation of air to ripen the wood. 
If the canes are supported by poles, four or five of the 
strongest young shoots will be quite sufficient to leave, 
all the others being cut away. The young ones may 
be shortened back, according to their strength, and 
tied to the poles immediately, or allowed to stand free 
till the leaves fall. A greater number of canes may be 
left where they are to be supported by wires. 
Rockeries. —The present is a very suitable time to 
commence the construction of new rockeries, as the soil 
will have time to settle into its proper bed during 
winter. The building of the stonework may, however, 
be proceeded with during winter, so that all will be in 
readiness for planting when the proper time comes. 
The body of the rockery should consist of soil, even if 
of poor quality, and after the building has been com¬ 
pleted, the pockets may be filled with properly prepared 
and suitable soil, according to the subjects it is intended 
to plant. 
Lawns. —On a fine day the machine should be run 
over the grass for the last time in order to leave a 
smooth and even surface. This will facilitate the work 
of sweeping or raking up leaves from time to time as 
they fall, in order to maintain a neat and orderly 
appearance through the autumn. 
Growing Crops. —Keep the surface soil well stirred 
with the hoe, both to keep down weeds, to disturb 
slugs and other vermin, as well as to aerate the soil 
and assist the growth of the plants. Earth up Celery 
on fine days, being careful to prevent the soil getting 
into the crown of the plant. 
Winter Spinach. —The plants keep best during 
the winter if thinned out sufficiently early to prevent 
getting drawn by crowding. In fact, if attended to 
properly in this respect, the stems will remain short 
with the leaves close to the ground. 
Beet. —These roots require great care in lifting to 
prevent the small laterals from getting broken. Store 
in a cool, frost-proof shed, amongst dry sand after the 
leaves get partly withered, so that they may be cut 
away. 
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PREPARING FOR PLANTING 
FRUIT TREES. 
In preparing for the planting of fruit trees more 
attention is necessary than merely digging a pit— 
which must at all times be of ample size—for the 
reception of the roots. A matter that must have pre¬ 
cedence to that is drainage, as there is nothing so 
detiimental to the well-being of fruit trees as any 
approach to stagnant water. For this important part 
of the plan of operations there is no fixed rule, as 
varying circumstances in different degrees have to 
determine the practice in this connection—a connection, 
indeed, worthy of careful consideration. Gravelly soil, 
for instance, rarely requires much drainage, and this is 
also applicable to sandy soils. Not so soils of an 
opposite tendency ; these must be carefully drained. 
There are gardens, and orchards, too—aye, too many 
of them—where there are no artificial drains ; still, 
where there is an open gravelly subsoil these are in 
many cases better dispensed with. 
Where drains are necessary, the depth and distance 
apart from each other must be determined by the 
incline of the surface-level and other surroundings. 
In all cases, however, the main drain should be ample, 
both in piping and declivity. Drains in a garden or 
orchard must be laid sufficiently deep to be beyond 
the reach of the spade in trenching operations, and 
therefore they can never safely be laid less than 3 ft. 
from the surface ; while as many as possible should be 
laid along the walks. These latter, from their com¬ 
position, are of themselves ready helps to drainage— 
indeed, are frequently laid with stones to a considerable 
depth to serve as drains for all practical purposes. 
Apart from the general surface of the land operated 
upon, it may occur that the individual sites for the 
trees require drainage, and this is best done with 
“rubble,” with an incline to a point from which pipes 
may be laid to be conducted to the regular surface 
pipes. Where such a precaution is found to be 
necessary it is well to first prepare the bottom, over 
which lay “rubble” to the desired depth; this in 
turn should be covered with smaller stones, finished 
off with gravel or similar substitute, and concreted over 
with cement or mortar, giving the site a decline from 
the centre all round if for standards, and from the wall 
to the front of the border if for wall trees. 
In any case, the roots should be preserved against 
reaching the subsoil, and many measures are adopted 
to prevent such an occurrence ; all of them more or 
less successful. Ordinary furnace ashes and mortar 
mixed, watered and beat hard to a smooth surface with 
a spade suits better than beating in ashes by themselves. 
A mixture of tar and ashes makes a bottom impervious 
to any roots. Stones—even flat ones—however care¬ 
fully laid, are not good, as they invariably “cant,” 
and thus make fissures into which roots readily find 
access. Slates are worse than nothing at all, as they 
are so liable to be put on edge, on end, or entirely 
displaced when root-pruning or any other operation 
takes place. Taking endurance into consideration, 
and the entire impossibility of roots pushing their way 
through aud so entering uncongenial soil, there is 
nothing to equal a concrete bottom formed of cement 
and gravel. Still, it is not to be inferred that any or 
all of these precautions are indispensable, as many 
gardens and orchards are to he found where no such 
things are necessary, and hence never contemplated. 
In such situations a good layer of old mortar rubbish 
will be found equally useful ; and indeed I have seen 
the latter often do good service. 
The depth of the pits is another matter of no small 
consideration ; indeed, I think too seldom considered at 
all. This of itself is a study, as the soil, situation, 
elevation, and average rainfall all play an important 
part in determining their depth. More errors are made 
in planting too deep than in planting too shallow. Of 
this I am fully convinced, for rarely have I had to 
re-plant any established tree deeper than it had origi¬ 
nally been planted ; in fact, if this ever occurred it 
might easily be accounted for by some alteration in the 
ground level, or other accidental circumstance. Why 
talk of keeping the roots near the surface, and yet bury 
them in untenable graves ? A pit from 1 ft. to 1* ft. 
deep is quite ample for a very large tree, or for any 
fruit tree likely to grow large. I at one time had the 
pleasure of the acquaintance of an eminent fruit grower 
(now in the Antipodes), who had had charge of the 
gardens he then superintended for over thirty years —a 
garden in all respects amply suited for a brickfield—and 
at first sight his mode of planting fruit trees seemed 
odd. All his trees were planted above the surface 
level of the ground on prepared mounds, so that in 
place of planting in a hole he practically planted on a 
hill, and his curious mode of culture was worthy of 
copying, as his crops amply testified. 
It may seem odd to recommend having all in 
readiness for the reception of the trees a few weeks 
before they are to he planted, but when all is fairly 
considered its importance will be perceived. In the 
event of having concreted pits, or any make-shift, it 
takes some time before all is consolidated, and 
what is more, the soil being opened up for a time 
admits air and sunshine to the site, and so 
sweetens it. Not only should the pits be in 
readiness, hut also the soil for planting should be 
previously mixed and prepared, so that no hitch may 
occur in unduly exposing roots longer than is actually 
necessary. I find all fruit trees prefer a good sound 
loam—stone fruits a rather adhesive loam —with a 
liberal admixture of charcoal and old mortar rubbish, 
and it should be prepared with a slight dash of some 
concentrated manure—I use Thomson’s Vine Manure. 
Where fresh soils are not to be had, the best soil 
obtainable should find favour, and the soil in the 
borders or quarters must be well trenched and limed to 
give stimulus to the trees, but on no account should 
rank animal manure find countenance near the roots. 
To stimulate growth is one thing, but to run the 
fresh growth into rambling, long-jointed watery shoots 
is quite another. The latter will assuredly result 
from the too common practice of using animal manure 
in a fresh state in a haphazard fashion. Many and 
dire have been the regrets of advocates of this practice, 
in the lack of fruit for years, when it ought to have 
been produced in plenty. Unfortunately that is not 
all, as the trees thus grown are as a rule permanently 
injured, and even when this is not the case they tax 
the energies of any man to bring them into good 
bearing order. 
To state distances to plant the various classes of 
fruit trees would be sheer folly, as most gardeners are 
guided by circumstances in this respect, allowing so 
many varieties in a given class or classes so many yards 
of wall space, borde. or quarter. Butin the case of wall 
or espalier trees it is a great mistake to over-crowd, as 
the inevitable consequence in a very few years is cross¬ 
ing and intercrossing. No doubt the old system of 
planting riders alternated with dwarfs—on high walls — 
is a good one, as thus the walls are quickly furnished, 
while the additional expense is merely nominal.— 
J. Proctor , Glenfinart. 
-— >X< »- 
HERBACEOUS AND ALPINE 
PLANTS. 
Some years ago the cultivation of these plants had to 
give way to what is known as the bedding-out system. 
Now, however, we are glad to see a reaction in their 
favour taking place, and these old favourites are daily 
regaining their popularity. It would amply repay any 
one the little expense or trouble there might be in 
connection with the getting up of a creditable collection 
of these lovely flowers, and if once obtained there would 
be no difficulty in keeping up the stock. They require 
but little attention, and satisfactory results may 
invariably be depended upon. 
Rich soil and sheltered situations are better adapted 
for the cultivation of a great number of these subjects, 
hut we do not see why any one with good ordinary 
soil should not cultivate a fine collection. Who does 
not hail with pleasure the welcome return of that tiny, 
and sweet floral visitant the Primula, as it greets us 
with its pleasant smile in the cold and cheerless early 
days of March, reminding us that another summer is 
rapidly approaching? All the species of this genus are 
well worthy of a place in any garden. Hepaticas, 
Wallflowers, Erythronium, and double Daisies follow 
on in quick succession, but it is surprising how little 
