536 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
December  13,  1900, 
Slirnbs  and  Trees. 
{^Concluded  from  page  515.) 
Whetheb  clumps  of  trees  are  planted  for  immediate  effect  or 
not,  it  mui-t  be  duly  considered  before  planting  what  deciduous 
trees  and  evergreens,  if  associated,  are  to  remain  to  become  lully 
developed  for  permanent  objects.  If  the  ground  is  sufficiently  large 
to  accommodate  one  common  and  one  Purple  Beech,  two  Chestnuts, 
red  and  white,  a  scarlet  and  a  white  Thorn,  and  two  Laburnums, 
when  lully  developed,  and  these  are  the  trees  it  is  desirable  to  a>i8ociate, 
they  should  be  so  disposed  on  the  ground  that  a  distinct  feature 
can  be  observed  from  as  many  points  as  possible.  These  main  trees 
must  not  be  planted  a  few  yards  only,  but  the  size  to  which  each 
will  attain  as  it  approa  hes  m  iturity  should  be  considered,  and  the 
plants  arranged  accordingly. 
A  greater  spice  still  must  be  allowed  if  it  is  intended  to  have 
specimen  Hollies,  Pines,  and  Conifers  amongst  them.  This  system 
where  jiracticable  should  be  followed,  for  the  one  displays  wonderfully 
the  advantages  of  the  other  at  the  different  seasons  of  the  year.  The 
evergreens  give  a  furnished  appearance  during  the  winter  months 
when  deciduous  trees  are  destitute  of  foliage.  Alter  the  main  plants 
have  been  arranged  the  remaining  ground,  if  planted  at  first  in  the 
forms  of  clumps  or  plantations,  can  he  filled  with  Sycamores,  Privets, 
Rhododendrons,  or  any  others  that  the  planter  may  desire  to  be  lilted 
or  cut  down  as  the  main  trees  require  room  for  extension. 
Pei  haps  one  of  the  greatest  mistakes  in  planting  is  the  association 
of  forest  trees  and  evergreens.  How  frequently  do  we  find  narrow 
lelts  or  small  plantations  with  two  or  three  rows  of  forest  trees,  and 
the  front  formed  with  a  row  of  Hollies,  Rhododendrons,  and  others. 
T  hese  may  b  ok  well  while  they  are  young.  The  front  row  or  two  of 
evergnens  may  be  expected  to  make  reasonable  progress;  but  in  a 
few  years  the  strong  ones  at  the  back  rob  the  ground  of  its  fertility, 
and  the  smaller  flower-growing  plants  fail  to  make  headway,  and  soon 
become  bare  at  the  base.  At  first  the  evergreens  are  planted  for  the 
purpose  of  blocking  out  the  interior  of  the  clump,  bu'  sonn  fail  to  do 
so  through  being  robbed  of  sufficient  food,  partially  excluded  from 
light,  and  subjected  to  drip  from  the  trees  in  the  background.  This 
system  of  planting  cannot  be  too  strongly  condemned,  lor  in  the  end  it 
is  sure  to  prove  disappointing. 
Although  I  have  advocated  the  association  of  ornamental  deciduous 
trees  and  evergreens,  it  is  only  when  the  two  can  be  planted  with 
plenty  of  room  tor  the  development  of  each  without  the  one  robbing 
the  other  of  the  necessary  materials  requisite  for  development. 
Plantations  can  be  made  of  forest  trees  with  eveigreens  in  the  front, 
and  very  beautiful  and  effective  they  are  if  planted  correctly  at  the 
commencement  and  duly  attended  to  afterwards.  It  is  essential  to 
accomplish  this  to  keep  the  former  well  in  the  background,  which  in 
narrow  strips  as  alluded  to  above  cannot  be  done.  The  tallest  t  ees 
should  be  planted  in  the  centre  of  a  large  clump,  or  well  in  the 
background.  If  the  former,  an  evergreen  front  may  be  presented  all 
round,  the  latter  being  followtd  when  only  one  front  of  evergreens  is 
required.  It  m^y  be  s  pposed  that  the  centre  trees  are  Sycamores  or 
otners  of  similar  growth,  while  to  the  front  of  these  trees  oi  a  smaller 
size  should  be  planted,  s  ch  as  some  of  the  varieties  of  Mounta  n  A'h, 
Tnoins,  Laburnums,  and  other  trees  of  moderate  growth.  In  the  front 
may  be  planted  evergreen  Privets,  and  few  plants  term  a  better  back¬ 
ground  for  other  eveigreens,  (r  are  more  beautilul  when  laden  in 
summer  with  their  deliciously  Iragrant  trusses  of  white  flowers. 
Privets  dt  serve  planting  more  largely  as  flowering  shrubs  when  the 
system  I  am  attempting  to  illustrate  is  practised,  tor  they  suffer  less 
by  association  with  forest  trees  than  any  other  evergreen.  In  good  soil 
they  grow  rapidly,  and  soon  form  large  bushes.  To  the  front  may  be 
plan :eu  Silver  Hollies,  and  in  the  angles  hy  brid  or  other  Rhi  dodenurons. 
The  foregoing  example  is  only  one  of  many  that  could  be  given  of 
planting  cluiiqs  of  deciduous  trees  and  eveigreens  together,  where 
the  last-named  would  flourish  and  an^wer  the  j  urpose  for  which  they 
were  planted.  Ibis  in  a  large  measure  depends  upon  judicious  thinning 
alter  planting.  The  Privets,  as  well  as  the  other  eveigreens,  must  be 
given  plenty  of  room  to  develop,  then  they  would  furnish  the  Iront, 
and  continue  to  do  so  a  terwards  for  an  inutfinite  period  It  is 
surpri.'ing  under  favourable  conditions  what  enormous  bushes, 
bi  autiful  in  shape.  Rhododendron  poi  ticum  will  form  in  a  very  few 
years  if  given  plenty  of  ruom  ;  but  these  are  generally  planted  thickly 
and  allowed  to  become  crowded  and  bare  at  the  base. 
Plant  Thinly. 
Another  advantage  of  planting  thinly  and  thinning  out  the  plants 
not  wanted  d  rect  y  they  show  signs  ot  crowding  is  the  fact  that  those 
ex|  osed  to  light  and  air  will  be  thick  ail  r.,und,  and  thus  b  ave  winds 
and  eveie  weather  much  better  than  when  drawn  up  weakly.  In 
expc  sed  situations  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  each  plant  or 
tree  stands  separately  with  plenty  of  room  to  develop  naturally. 
Before  plantiug  it  is  necessary  to  trench  ttie  ground  as  ueeply  as 
the  soil  will  allow  of  this  being  done.  If  the  soil  is  poor  and 
unfertile  a  good  coating  of  manure  should  be  added.  For  Rnodo- 
dendrons  and  such  evergreens  nothing  can  be  bet'er  to  incorporate 
with  the  soil  than  leaf  mould,  for  the  majority  of  trees  and  shrubs 
grow  most  luxuriantly  in  it.  Whm  planting  Hollies,  Pines,  or 
choice  Conifers  it  is  a  good  plan  to  give  to  each  plant  a  few  bairow- 
luls  of  fibrous  loam,  to  which  about  one-third  of  decayed  manure 
has  been  added.  This  will  give  the  plants  a  good  start,  and  insure 
t  eir  lifting  with  good  balls  of  roots  when  the  first  thinning  requires 
to  be  done,  ll  the  soil  upon  the  portion  of  the  ground  to  be  planted 
is  poor  and  shallow  a  greater  quantity  of  fresh  soil  may  be  given  to 
each  of  the  choicer  plants.  When  they  are  planted  singly  on  the 
lawn  or  elsewhere  a  good  sized  hole  should  be  mide,  say  three  times 
the  distance  from  the  centre,  that  the  roots  will  extend  from  the  tree 
or  shrub  to  be  planted  when  first  placed  in  the  greund. 
The  soil  at  the  base  must  be  well  dug  and  manured,  mixing  with 
it  a  gi  od  percentage  of  fresh  soil,  which  should  also  be  incorporated 
with  soil  lor  filling  in  about  the  roots.  If  a  good  preparation  is  made 
at  the  commencement,  and  the  surrounding  soil  is  moderately  deep 
and  fertile,  the  tree  or  shrub  will  in  all  probability  develop  into  a  good 
specimen  without  further  attention  at  its  roots.  When  the  soil  is 
shallow  it  is  a  good  plan  after  the  ruots  have  taken  full  posses  ion  of 
the  soil  prepared  for  them  to  cut  a  trench  round  them  and  fill  it  with 
fresh  soil  and  manure.  It  is  surprising  how  this  helps  plants,  and  in 
the  end  they  aburidantly  repay  for  the  labour  expended  upon  them. 
In  order  to  insure  quick  luxuriant  grovyth  the  ground  should  be 
well  prepared  by  being  trenched  and  manured  as  early  in  the  season 
as  possible.  The  planting,  if  possible,  should  be  done  before  the 
ground  has  become  saturated  with  rain.  Trees  and  shrubs  grow  much 
more  luxuriantly  in  trenched  than  in  untrenched  land. — W. 
Lilies  of  tlie  Valley. 
When  Shakespeare  wrote— 
“  To  gild  refined  gold,  to  paint  the  Lily, 
To  throw  a  perfume  on  the  Violet, 
Were  wasteful  and  ridiculous  excess,” 
he  probably  did  not  refer  to  the  Lily  of  the  Valley  ;  but  the  moral  holds 
good  none  the  less  that  it  is  true  wisdom  f  o  take  a  good  thing  at  its  proper 
worth  and  not  to  spoil  it  by  exaggeration.  We  need  seek  no  farther 
qualities  for  the  Lily  of  the  Valley  than  are  apparent  to  every  observer 
of  the  flowers  of  the  field — graceful,  though  lowly,  growth,  ohasteness 
of  hue,  and  full,  delightful  fragrance.  These  are  charms  enough  to 
secure  it  a  cherished  place  in  every  British  home,  while  under  another 
name — the  Mayflower — it  is  grown  in  several  parts  of  continental 
Europe. 
Its  botanical  name,  Convallaria,  is  derived  from  the  Latin  words 
convalUs,  a  valley,  and  rica,  a  mantle,  in  allusion  to  the  dense  covering 
formed  by  its  abundant,  large,  deep-green  leaves.  It  is  an  earth  mantle 
of  foliage  without  doubt,  as  anyone  will  concede  after  a  glance  at  his 
own  thick — often  too  thick — bed  of  these  beautiful  plants.  It  is  when 
naturalised,  however,  that  the  appropriateness  of  the  name  is  the  more 
readily  recognised — when  acres  of  woodland  are  carpeted  with  verdure, 
and  millions  of  delicate  spikes  with  their  load  of  pendent  bells  droop 
over  the  broad  leaves,  diffusing  fragrance.  I  have  admired  a  parterre 
of  many  acres  in  a  private  domain,  and  thousands  of  persons  went 
thither  to  admire  them  in  early  summer,  but  their  thoughtless 
depredations  at  length  compelled  the  proprietor  to  forbid  the  exposal 
of  this  beautiful  natural  picture  to  the  public.  Planted  under  suitable 
conditions  in  the  garden  it  will  establish  itself  and  yield  a  yearly  supply 
of  blossoms ;  while  grown  in  pots  or  pans,  or  even  in  moss,  and 
introduced  to  heat,  flowers  can  be  had  for  buttonholes,  bouquets,  or 
room  decoration  from  long  before  Christmas  until  the  outdoor  plants 
come  into  blocm.  It  succeeds,  too,  in  town  gardens  if  planted  in  good 
soil  and  a  rather  shady  situation.  Others  than  the  common  form  of  the 
Lily  of  the  Valley  exist  in  some  gardens,  notably  a  rose-coloured  variety  ; 
but  one  of  the  finest  varieties  in  cultivation  is  the  Victoria  (fig.  137). 
Lily  of  the  Valley  may  be  planted  from  November  to  April,  but  only 
when  the  ground  is  in  a  friable  condition.  They  are  purchased  in 
crowns,  these  being  sold  singly,  and  in  clumps  bound  with  soil.  The 
former  are  large  plump,  and  well  ripened,  and  if  properly  treated  will 
produce  flower  spikes.  These  may  be  selected  for  forcing  purposes, 
but  after  blooming  they  are  of  little  use.  Where  __it  is  desired  to 
