226 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[^August, 



letting it soak away well before filling in 

 the remaining soil — and putting in this soil very 

 loosely, and without pressure, according to 

 directions we have so often given in these pages. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



THE AILANTHUS. 



BY J. STALIFKR, 1-ANCASTKU, PA. 



I always admire charity, long-suffering and 

 kindness, even should I, like many others, some- 

 times come short in the observance. Gen. W. H. 

 Noble, of Bridgeport, Conn., in the last (May) 

 number of the Gardener's Monildy, on page 132, 

 speaks a kind word for the abused Ailanthus. 

 To this I do not object; but to answer a question 

 regarding the two species of Ailanthus, about 

 which he seems mystified, he s;iys: "Johnson 

 says there are two species, the glandulosa, the 

 other variety is not named ordescribed," adding, 

 "And I think it must be in this country, and 

 bear the character I am about to give." Which 

 see. In Johnson's Gardener's Diciionary (Lon- 

 don, 1870), I find this brief statement: "Aihm- 

 thus from ailanto, tree of heaven ; referiing to 

 its lofty growth. Nat. Ord. Xanihoxyls [Xmt- 

 ihorylacex) I^inn. 23 Polygamia, 11 Dioccia. De- 

 ciduous trees, cuttings of the roots; sandy loam 

 and peat. Ailanthus excelsa (lofty, 50, Green, 

 E. Indies, 1800. Stove. Ailanthus glandulosa, 

 (glandulous),20. Green, China, 1751. Hardy." I 

 copy the record as I find it, as the late edition i.s 

 in few hands. I ■will add from other sources 

 that in the A. excelsa, or E Indian, the leaves 

 are abruptly pinnated, leaflets serrated; while 

 in the glandulosa the leaves are pinnated, with 

 an odd one terminal, leaflets toothed at base, 

 teeth glandular. It should properly be called 

 "Ailantus," derived from Ailanto, the name of 

 one species in the Moloccas ; hence it would 

 seem writing it Ailanthus is not correct. The 

 A. glandulosa is very common in Lancaster 

 county, and looks like a gigantic Stag's-hom 

 Sumach, its very long leaves, from one to two 

 feet, unequally pinnated, and its terminating 

 pedicel of numerous flowers, which exhale a dis 

 agreeable odor, are conspicuous. Dr. Darlington 

 says of this Oriental stranger: "It is a real 

 nuisance, and was appropriately named 'Caco- 

 dendron' (evil or pernicious tree), by an eminent 

 botanist," and he, Dr. D., condemns its odor and 



tendency to send out suckers brond-ca-st, and ad- 

 vises it to be cut down near dwellingB. He 

 admits its rapid growth and good (jiiality in 

 making of timber. 



The tree grows fast in any soil, however poor, 

 especially if it be calcareous. Ibe wood is hard, 

 heavy, glossy like satin, and susceptible of a 

 very fine po!i.sh. It is said in " France it hiiB 

 produced both male and female flowers, and 

 fruit twice in ten years." It strikes me that 

 there is fruit as well as flowers with us, on ma- 

 tured trees every year. How is that? 



I do not think we have the two species. The 

 excelsa is too tender for our climate. There 

 may be a variety of the glandulosa, but the mere 

 change of color in the leaf hardly warrants such 

 a suj)position. The General will excuse me by 

 quoting his concluding remark, as an apology 

 for this article. He says : "At any rate, in 

 Autumn they are very marked ornaments of the 

 landscape, and tower into grand bouquets. Now, 

 arc these two varieties in this country, and is 

 this one I admire, that other? Will the Monthly, 

 or some one answer, and tell us its name?" As 

 that some one— one who has given the subject of 

 botany some attention — I have given the name 

 and distinction of the two species. I take it for 

 granted that the General cannot mistake a Stag- 

 horn Sumach for that other variety, the "Rhus 

 typhina," L., the fine purple cluster of fruit on 

 the fertile plant of which renders it quite orna- 

 mental. The tree attains 20 feet and has 20 

 pairs of lance oblong leaflets two to four inches 

 in length, common petiole one to two feet long, 

 flowers yellowish green, in thyrsoid panicles. 

 Perhaps a closer inspection will determine the 

 matter, as there is a general resemblance to a 

 casual observer. 



RHODODENDRON CALIFORNICUM. 



BY AV. C. L. DREW, EL DORADO, CAL. 



Among the many plants of California, there 

 are none more deserving of cultivation than 

 Rhododendron Californicum. It is a shrub, 

 growing from three to eight feet high, according 

 to situation; in general outline it resembles the 

 well known Eastern Rhododendron, Cataw- 

 biense. The leaves are about, when full grown, 

 five inches long, in shape broadly lanceolate, or 

 oblong; in color they are a bright, shiny green. 

 The flowers, like those of all Rhododendrons, 

 are very handsome. They are borne in umbels. 



