1877.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



103 



somest hardy pine of North America. Next I 

 would place muricata and Coulteri. We have 

 now had an opportunity of testing some dozen 

 varieties of the beautiful Retinospora for a num- 

 ber of years, and it is most gratifying to be able 

 to say, that with one or two exceptions, they are 

 as hardy as an oak ; ericoides needs some pro- 

 tection when young. Two varieties lately intro- 

 troduced, Retinospora pisifera lutescens and 

 R. squarrosa glauca, are the most beautiful I 

 have yet seen. Another beautiful class of small 

 evergreens should be planted with caution — the 

 Taxus. But two, out of some twenty varieties, 

 which I have tried, can be relied on, Taxus can- 

 adensis and Washington! — the last named is 

 tipped with gold, and with me as hardy as an 

 oak. Several others that are very beautiful, 

 Taxus baccata aurea, Taxus elegantissima and 

 Taxus japonica, and we may add cuspidata, with 

 slight protection ; may be preserved. The Biotas 

 are so handsome that it pays to give some of 

 them a slight protection, otherwise most of them 

 will suffer when young. Elegantissimum, I think 

 the handsomest of all, and perhaps the most 

 tender. Biota semper aurescens and Zuccarin- 

 iana are of recent introduction, and with me 

 nearly hardy, both beautiful and worth try- 

 ing. Nearly all the Thuya occidentalis, I think 

 are hardy, if we except the gigantea, which needs 

 protection when young. 



Thuiopsis borealis, variegata and dolabrata 

 passed through several Winters, and I had great 

 hopes of these beautiful trees, but had to give 

 them up. Not one is now left ; the same state- 

 ment will apply to Libocedrus decurrens. This, 

 would seem to be the dark side in experimenting 

 with evergreens ; but I wish to say that there aj e 

 two sides to this question, and I propose at a 

 suitable time to give the other side, which is a 

 bright side, and fully compensates for all that 

 would appear to be disappointment in experi- 

 menting with the beautiful Conifera, now obtain- 

 able. One woid in regard to Sequoia gigantea : 

 it does not give satisfaction ; a beautiful tree 

 where it does well, but will not flourish here. I 

 am speaking for Eastern New York, latitude 

 about 41°. 



I notice an enquiry in your last issue in regard 

 to the Arundo conspicua. I imported this last 

 year, and think it promises to be valuable — 

 quite as handsome as the Gynerium argenteum. 

 and I think much hardier. I hope to flower the 

 new Gynerium carmineum Rendatleri, the com- 

 ing season. This was sent out^ by Van Houtte 



two years ago, with a fine description. The pani- 

 cles measure more than two feet in length, are 

 of a bright carmine rose color. The flower stems 

 attain the height often feet, and are described as 

 making a magnificent show, quite as hardy as 

 Gynerium argenteum. There is another variety 

 which I have ordered, described with foliage 

 completely bordered with gold color. I hope to 

 report favorably at some future time on this new 

 Gynerium. Erianthus Ravennse is a very orna- 

 mental grass, and when well established will, I 

 think, prove quite hardy. 



[Mr. Carpenter's notes of his experience are 

 valuable and welcome. It shows that people 

 cannot plant these things under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances, and yet feel sure of their living. It 

 must not be forgotten that in a state of nature, 

 evergreens are gregarious; growing together, 

 they shelter one another. In the highest north- 

 ern regions the young of pines spring up under 

 the protection of other things. If put out in the 

 open, exposed on all sides to the wind, the sun, 

 and the weather in general, the hardiest of even 

 these hardy things have a hard time of it. When 

 large they can take care of themselves— when 

 young they cannot. There are scarcely any of 

 the kinds which failed with Mr. Carpenter, but 

 which we have seen doing well, not only in his 

 latitude, but in latitudes much further north. It 

 is a question not of latitude, nor of temperature, 

 but of protection from wind when small. By 

 protection we mean not merely the placing of a 

 few branches around a weak plant, but the pro- 

 tection of dense masses of trees and shrubs. — 

 Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Pruning Conifer^.— A discussion is going on 

 in the Belgian journals, as to whether ornot it will 

 do to prune coniferse. An affirmative answer 

 would have been given by any American gar- 

 dener since the establishment of the Gardener's 

 Monthly. We remember that an article in regard 

 to pruning evergreens, in our first number created 

 marked attention. There is no evergreen but is 

 freely pruned now. 



The Japan Maples.— Mr. S. Parsons speaks 

 well of the Acer Jap. sanguineum and A Jap. 

 atropurpureum. Of the last we can say of our 

 own experience, that it is an excellent addition 

 to our list of ornamental trees. 



