September  19, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
^111 
undertaken  as  needed.  The  soil  here  is  in  many  parts  gravelly,  and 
the  benefits  following  an  annual  or  biennial  mulching  can  hardly  be 
over-estimated.  This  is  more  especially  the  case  with  flowering  plants 
whether  evergreen  or  deciduous,  and  particularly  so  as  regards  peat- 
loving  plants.  I  am  not  at  all  particular  as  to  what  material  is  used 
for  this  purpose.  Sometimes  it  is  soil,  occasionally  manure,  and  most 
often  prepared  compost  from  the  refuse  heap.  Those  having  a  poor  soil 
to  deal  with,  and  who  have  not  yet  tried  mulching  to  shrubs,  will  be 
satisfied  on  trial  that  it  repays  any  little  trouble. 
In  addition  to  employing  decomposed  and  prepared  refuse  for 
compost  incorporated  with  the  natural  soil  will  be  quite  sufficient.  Last 
year  1  had  to  plant  a  number  of  Ampelopsis  japonica,  Carpenteria 
californica,  new  forms  of  Cornus,  Clerodendron  trichotomum,  and  others, 
and  for  these  I  made  up  a  compost  of  loam  and  decayed  rubbish,  the 
two  in  equal  proportions,  and  all  have  done  well.  Some  plants.  Spiraeas 
for  instance,  grow  and  flower  well  on  the  poorest  soil,  consequently  so 
much  trouble  is  quite  unnecessary  in  their  case. 
The  beauty  of  flowering  shrubs  is  now  hastening  their  recognition 
as  desirable  plants  to  introduce  into  shrubberies  instead  of  the  ridicu¬ 
lously  limited  number  too  commonly  employed.  But  it  would  be. 
FiQ.  46.— SUNFLOWER  STOKE  PARK  FAVOURITE. 
mulching  I  also  use  it  for  planting  shrubs  in.  It  is  now  many  years 
since  I  first  tried  it  to  make  up  beds  for  Rhododendrons.  The  natural 
soil  was  80  bad  that  on  it  I  placed  a  thick  layer  of  the  material, 
planted  the  Rhododendrons  therein,  and  I  have  just  made  up  another 
large  bed  into  which  a  collection  of  peat-loving  shrubs  is  to  be  planted. 
The  material  in  this  case  is  nearly  2  feet  in  depth,  and  with  it  a  layer 
of  sand  nearly  3  inches  in  thickness  is  thoroughly  incorporated.  From 
the  nature  of  the  material  being  mainly  humus,  it  has  a  tendency  to 
become  quickly  exhausted  of  plant  food,  but  if  a  surface  dressing  of 
manure  is  annually  applied  there  will  be  no  decrease  in  either  strength 
or  beauty.  For  some  plants  half  loam  and  half  compost  is  best,  but  for 
ordinary  kinds,  such  as  Laurels  and  Yews,  a  good  addition  of  the 
unwise  to  dispense  with  those  kinds  that  have  done  duty  for  so  long. 
There  is  some  reason  why  Laurels,  Yews,  and  Box  have  for  so  long 
held  sway.  Possibly  they  may  have  killed  other  plants  by  over¬ 
growing  them,  but  it  is  more  likely  that  their  hardiness  and  adaptability 
to  different  soils  and  varying  situationg  has  procured  for  them  so  much 
popularity.  Shrubs,  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  are  most  useful  as  screens 
to  hide  unsightly  objects.  As  a  shelter  to  more  important  plants  they 
are  indispensable.  Where  the  Portugal  Laurel  is  afforded  space  to 
grow  to  its  normal  dimensions,  in  addition  to  its  other  valuable  pro¬ 
perties,  it  becomes  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  flowering  shrubs.  The 
Laurels  here  during  the  past  summer  while  in  bloom  were  completely 
covered  with  their  spikes  of  sweet-smelling,  whitish  flowers.  In  the 
