THE FLORAL WORLD 



AND 



GARDEN GUIDE. 



NOVEMBER, 186 8 



G-AKDEN THOR^^S. 



WITH FiaUEE OP THE ^'EW SCAELET DOUBLE -ELOWEEINa THORN- 



iEIERE are upwards of 150 species and varieties of 

 " Thorns " in cultivation, and amongst them all, not one 

 can be specified as undesirable where room caa be found 

 for it, and the scene is not unfit. JSTevertheless thorns, 

 that is to say, species and varieties of the genus Cratae- 

 gus, may be very fairly arranged in two groups, one of which we 

 should regard as more especially adapted for large spaces, drives, 

 and the margins of woods and shrubberies, and should designate 

 Park Thorns ; and the other group, being better adapted for con- 

 tracted spaces and highly-embellished scenes, we should distinguish 

 as '• Garden Tliorns." Without respect to any such cliissification, it 

 is certain that the genus Crataegus ofi'ers us a remarkable number of 

 beautiful trees of comparatively small growth, whether for the park 

 or the garden, and is the richest in variety of any family of orna- 

 mental trees whatever. If distinct examples of such as we regard 

 as park and garden trees are required, we ^vould instance the common 

 hawthorn for the first-class, and the double-fioweriug thorn here 

 figured for the second. The case might be put in a more striking 

 manner, by selecting for the park the handsome, large-leaved, vigor- 

 ous-growing cockspur thorn {C. cnis-gaUi), and for the garden the 

 elegant yellow-berried, tansy- leaved thorn (0. tanacetifoUa). To be 

 sure, it is not necessary to institute any such classification at all, but 

 as this is the season for planting orjiamental trees, we may render 

 some service to our readers by offering a few remarks on the charac- 

 ters of thorns, and a list of the species and varieties that are best 

 adapted for planting in gardens. 



The accepted type of the family, the common hawthorn (C. cxy- 

 cantha), is always beautiful, save and except when, in the height of 

 summer, we- sometimes find it almost leafless, and covered with the 

 dirty cocoons of myriads of caterpillars. It is one of the first trees 

 assailed when the weather is i'avourable to vermin, and that is, at 

 least, one reason why it is not well to plant it in the vicinity of 

 VOL. III. — NO. XI. 2i 



