REPORT OF THE UORTICULTURIST 123 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



planting was done this year. In the mixed belts it was necessary to go through with a 

 hook and cut back tlie tops of the stronger growing trees of inferior value, in order that 

 the leaders of the better kinds could predominate, as if left the valuable trees would 

 have in many cases been crowded out. The evergreen plantation was also thinned out 

 as much as the trees could stand without breaking the leafy canopy, and the dead wood 

 removed. The pines in this plantation are doing very well and are tall and straight. 

 The trees removed made very good poles. 



ARBORETUM AND BOTANIC GARDEN. 



The trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants made very satisfactory growth in the 

 Arboretum and Botanic Garden this year, there being less injury from winter than 

 usual and the growing season veiy favourable. The Arboretum is now all seeded down 

 to lawn grass with the exception of about two acres occupied by the nursery of the 

 Ottawa Improvement Commission, and the grass, which was kept regularly cut all 

 summer, looked well. A large number of additions were made this year to the collec- 

 tion of both woody and herbaceous plants. The following figures show how rapidly the 

 number of species and varieties under test have increased. In 1889, 200 species and 

 varieties of trees and shrubs were set out, and by the autumn of 1894 about 600 were 

 being tested. Up to the autumn of 1901, there had been 3,728 species and varieties of 

 trees grown, of which 2,871 were living, comprised of 185 genera, represented by about 

 4,500 specimens. 



Of herbaceous perennials there were 1,605 species and varieties living in the autumn 

 of 1902. 



Canadian trees and shrubs have been thoroughly tested, and are well represented. 

 All of the trees mentioned in Prof. John Macoun's paper on the ' The Forests of Canada 

 and their distribution ' have been tried, with the exception of a few Western species 

 which have not been given a thorough trial as yet. Among these are Salix scouleriana, 

 Baratt ; Pi7iiisjlexilis, J a,mes ; Pinus albicaulis,l^ng.; IHyius monticoIa,T)oug\. ; Tsufja 

 pat toi liana, Ting. ; Tsuga mertensiana, Carr; Ahies grandis, Lindl. ; Abies amabills, 

 Forbes. 



Of Canadian trees which have been thoroughly tested the following have not proven 

 hardy : — 



Asimina triloba, Duval (Papaw). This has killed out root and branch. 



Liriodendron tulipifera, Linn. (Tulip-tree). The Tulip-tree killed to near the 

 ground every winter until last winter when it was hardier. A variety of this species, 

 however, integrifolia, imported from Berlin, Germany, in 1897, has proven hardy for 

 the past four years. 



Cercis canadensis, Linn. (Judas-tree or American Red-bud). — The tree now living 

 in the Arboretum was planted in the autumn of 1896. That winter it killed to the 

 ground and only made weak growth in 1897 ; the next winter it killed back two-thirds ; 

 the third, one-half ; the fourth winter it was almost hardy to the tips, and it was also 

 the same the last two winters. This is a good example of the acclimatization of trees. 



Cornus Jiorida, Linn. (Flowering Dogwood). — One specimen of this tree was prac- 

 tically hardy from 1897 until two years ago when it killed to near the ground. Other 

 specimens were not as hardy. 



Kyssa sylvatica, Marsh (Sour Gum). — The tree now living was planted in the 

 spring of 1897 ; the first winter it killed back one-iialf ; the next, one-half; the third, 

 it was hardy nearly to the tips, and again the same the last two winters. 



Sassafras officinale, Nees (Sassafras). — This has killed out root and branch thus far, 

 though it has not been as thoroughly tested as some of the others. 



