1878. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



293 



with the best specimens known in their 

 own classes. This would require a higher 

 •order of judges than had generally prevailed; 

 but more care and intelligence on the part 

 •of judges in awarding prizes at shows, would 

 encourage a larger number of exhibitors, 

 and real merit would be better understood 

 than mere quantity and show. Mr. M. also 

 remai'ked that nurserymen had suffered great 

 losses by giving long credit, to effect sales; 

 when they became overstocked with trees, they 

 were tempted to sell at any rate, and on any 

 terms Large numbers of weak, and in the main, 

 dishonorable firms, were sustained in existence 

 by this plan, who in turn competed injuriously 

 with the firms that had sustained them. He said 

 it was better to destroy the trees then to over- 

 bm-den the market. The practice of selling trees 

 at prices so low as hardly to pay for digging and 

 packing had largely contributed to depress the 

 trade. It was an injury to the public as well as 

 to the other members of the trade, as, feeling 

 that they had suffered enough loss already, the 

 temptation to haste in digging and careless pack- 

 ing was great, and large numbers of such trees 

 died on the purchaser's hands. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Lemon Verbena. — It is said that a few 

 of the dried leaves of this plant mixed with 

 Chinese tea adds to its tastefulness to the palates 

 of many people. 



The Persian Lilac. — It is now attributed to 

 Pecaisne, that what is known in gardens as the 

 Persian Lilac is not a Persian but a Cliinese 

 plant. 



The Purple Beech as a Hedge Plant. — 

 What is the reason that Purple Beech is not 

 more used for ornamental hedges than it appears 

 to be at present. I should say there is no plant 

 that forms a more beautiful hedge for bounding 

 or dividing a pleasure ground, contrasting as it 

 does so charmingly with the green sward. It 

 may be said to plant a hedge of this description 

 would be too expensive, as in nurseries they are 

 mostly, if not all, grafted, and consequently, are 

 expensive. There are very few places but one 

 or two large trees are to be found, and I ven- 

 ture to say that under such trees there are plenty 

 of young seedlings springing up just now ; and if 

 they are taken up and planted in some conven- 

 ient place, in lines, and let grow on for a couple 



of years, they will make nice plants for forming 

 a hedge, and they will invariably keep the same 

 color as the old tree. There is a large tree of 

 Pm-ple Beech here, and there are himdi'eds of 

 young plants now growing imder it. It was this 

 suggested to me that the present must be a good 

 season elsewhere for them. I had a quantity of 

 seedlings taken up as above ten years ago, and 

 they now form a splendid hedge, about five feet 

 in height, wliich is much admired by all who hap- 

 pen to see it. The growth and foliage hang down 

 very gracefully. I would prefer it, in fact, to any 

 other tree usually planted for forming hedges in 

 gardens and pleasure grounds. — B. B.,in Garden. 



The Grey Pine. — Prof. Beal has the follow- 

 ing good word for the Pinus Banksiana. "We 

 have often wondered why this beautiful small 

 growing Pine was so scarce : 



"This small tree goes bj- a great variety of 

 other names among the people of Michigan, such 

 as scrub, dark, crocodile. Jack, buckwheat, etc. 

 It is a scrubb}^ bush or small tree, though it often 

 becomes fifty or even eighty feet high and fifteen 

 inches in diameter. It grows in poor sandy soil. 

 It is rather more slender and graceful than the 

 Austrian pine, which it somewhat resembles. 

 The leaves are short and of a dark color. The 

 grey Pine is not often planted, but I see no rea- 

 son why it should not find a place on every well 

 kept lawn. Small trees can be seen in the Abore- 

 tum." 



C ANNAS. — It is singular that more attention is 

 not given to Tropical plants for borders. They 

 like hot Aveather, in fact the hotter it is the bet- 

 ter they grow. Among them none will do so 

 well as the Cannas. Judging by the way they 

 grew dui-ing our late hot spell, the temperature 

 seems to suit them exactly. A fine display can 

 now be made b}^ Cannas alone, so many varie- 

 ties of color having been produced of late years. 

 A watering now and then, is all the attention 

 they require. We have seen lately (August 

 5th) many varieties in .flower, and with their 

 beautiful colors they make a pretty show. In 

 addition to their fine flowers, the tropical appear- 

 ance of the leaves adds greatly to their interest. 



Protecting Park Tress from Cattle. — 

 Writing to Land and Water, Mr. Iligford Biut, 

 Aldermaston Court, Reading, says : 



" I dare sa}' that most of yom- readers who take 

 any interest 'in planting have often remarked 

 how an Oak or other tree of fortuitous planting 

 has attained a fair growth, owmg to the protec- 



