494 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It cannot be too often repeated that onr native thorns are among the most 

 beautiful small trees known to cultivation. They combine hardiness, neat- 

 ness of habit, beauty of foliage, flower and fruit and the most brilliant autumn 

 coloring. They are particularly suited to grow as single specimens on small 

 lawns or to face groups of larger trees in parks and more extended pleasure 

 grounds. Americans in their planting too often run after the English haw- 

 thorn, which does not flourish in our hot summers and is almost invariably 

 disfigured by mildew and other fungus growth. 



One reasou for the neglect of our native species is that planters study the 

 nurserymen's catalogues instead of keeping their eyes open to detect the 

 beauty all about them in the wonderful variety of shrubs which grow by 

 every wood border, water course and wayside. Few nurserymen keep a good 

 selection of native plants or seem to know anything of them. It is to be 

 hoped that the Arnold Arboretum will prove an educating influence in the 

 right direction. It will certainly afford such opportunities for the study and 

 comparison of all hardy trees and shrubs as no other collection in the world 

 can give. The permanent planting of the trees will begin in the spring, but 

 already the shrubs which will grow in the climate of Massaihusetts have 

 been arranged, genus by genus, and family by family, and planters will have 

 the opportunity to examine all the different species and varieties, compare 

 them in flower and fruit with the time and manner of their autumn transfor- 

 mation, their habit, size and expression. No nurseryman who wants to 

 understand his business, no landscape gardener or planter on a large scale 

 can afford to allow much time to pass without a visit to this great establish- 

 ment, where the foundations for the most complete and the best classified 

 collection in the world are already laid. 



Pruning Street Trees. — Wo have visited a number of cities in Michigan, 

 in which the common council had, at sftme time, been afflcted with a tree 

 butchering spasm, and ordered the marshal to trim up all street trees to a cer- 

 tain height, regardless of position, manner of growth, or good sense. We 

 commend the following advice from Editor W. A. Stiles, as good for city fathers 

 to read before going into such a fit: 



Now, street trees sometimes need pruning. Their lowest branches should be 

 above the heads of pedestrians, and out of the way of vehicles. There are 

 times when a moderate and judicious thinuing of the branches will help the 

 form and strengthen the growth of the tree. But no ax or saw should ever be 

 lifted ur> against one, unless in the hand, or under the direction of some one 

 who can give a reason for every stroke. Ten trees are injured by trimming for 

 every one that is benefited. Whenever it is necessary to remove a branch, it 

 should be cut smoothly, close to the trunk, even with the bark, and the wound 

 painted with coal tar. Then the elaborated sap returning from the leaves will 

 form a new growth at the edge of the wound, and it will gradually heal over. 

 If a stub is left, this must die and rot. As the trunk grows about it there will 

 be a plug of decayed wood in the place of the branch, and the death will eat 

 inward as water soaks in from without. When the end of a limb is cut off the 

 amputation should be made just beyond a branch growing out of it, so that 

 the returning sap from the leaves on the branch that remains will heal over the 

 wound. But generally little work of this kind is required. The tree, if left 

 to itself, will be more likely to develop naturally in the best way. 



