100 THE FLORIST. 
admirably adapted to afford the most powerful support at the pomt, 
where the greatest strain takes place in storms. ‘This fact, as in num- 
berless other instances of creative wisdom and skill evidenced by the 
growth of trees, should teach Man a lesson, that when rearing young 
trees for planting in the open ground, where in a great measure they 
will be beyond his control, and have to take their chances against storms, 
&c., he should take care not to cripple and render useless those 
important parts of a plant—on which, indeed, all its future well-doing 
depends—by following a custom which we believe every sensible mind 
must concur in considering as one entirely in opposition to the laws of 
Nature, and which has not one recommendation in its fayour. 
We have been more forcibly impressed with the facts stated above, 
by hearing of so many flourishing Conifers having been blown out 
of the ground this past winter, as well as having suffered in the 
same way ourselves, from the above causes, that we wish to bring the 
matter more prominently forward, by way of caution to planters ; and 
we hope that Mr. Barron, to whom belongs the credit of first pointing 
out the danger, will assist us with his opinion of the experience he has 
had, in reference to this subject since his work was published, which 
must have been considerable, from his extensive practice as a planter. 
In making these observations, we are very far indeed from blaming 
the trade for continuing a custom which they are compelled to adopt to 
please their customers, who frequently will have plants in pots, so that 
they can plant them at any time; and moreover pot plants are more 
easily packed, and are supposed to he less liable to suffer when planted 
than those which have been taken from the open soil. This is alto- 
gether a mistake if annual or biennial removal is practised (which 
should always be the case), and which we know is done regularly in 
many first-rate nurseries, their proprietors being fully alive to the 
importance of frequently lifting their trees, so that when sold they may 
confidently vouch for their not suffering by removal. We do not wish to 
be invidious, or we could mention nurseries where we would undertake 
to remove any of their Conifers or evergreens in the middle of summer, 
without any fear of losing a single plant; and it is well known that 
by this practice the commercial value of the plants so treated is 
increased in some cases 50 and 60 per cent. 
Purchasers should therefore insist upon all hardy trees having been 
planted out soon after their seedling state, and frequently removed since. 
In turning young Conifers out of pots (supposing them to have been 
potted in single pots, but we should much prefer pricking them out 
into pans or boxes), it should be insisted upon that the soil is entirely 
shaken from the roots before planting, and the roots set at liberty; and 
also that any roots which have a tendency to coil are well cut back, 
that they may correct themselves as they progress by forming straight 
roots. Were these simple rules once practised with all our young trees 
reared in pots, and on which hereafter so much of the beauty and 
interest of our gardens and parks is to depend, planters would not 
experience the annoyance and disappointment now too frequently the 
case, after several years’ growth, to find their favourite trees die 
suddenly, through a contracted circulation, at a most vital part; or 
Zap. 
Le ee 
