THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[December, 



peculiarity. But in autumn it is one of the most 

 lovely of yellows. The Norway maple is pretty 

 in its lemon yellow, but this maple is bright 

 golden. Its proper name is Acer lietum. 



Rhododendrons. — These are not so particular 

 about the kind of soil as its texture. A. stony 

 8oil — one that is porous — is good. They will not 

 do in clay or heavy land. 



Climbing Hybrid Perpetuate.— Mr. D. F. 

 Fish, excellent authority, believes that some of 

 the Hybrid Perpetuals will do to train as climb- 

 ers, or pillar roses, and gives the Garden the fol- 

 lowing list : 



"Neither must it be inferred from my silence 

 about Hybrid Perpetuals that these are not suit- 

 able for the covering of dwelling-houses. On 

 the contrary, they form the best material for this 

 purpose. Of late years, too, climbing varieties 

 of some of the finest Perpetuals have been pro- 

 duced, and we are now provided with climbing 

 Bessie Johnson, Charles Lefebvre, Countess of 

 Oxford, Edouard Morren, Geant des Batailles, 

 Jules Margottin, Madame Eugene Verdier, Victor 

 Verdier, &c. These alone— assuming that they 

 are equal in quality to their non-climbing name- 

 sakes, which, however, several of them are not — 

 would suffice to lighten up and clothe the barest 

 mansion. The majority of the Hybrid Perpetuals 

 are strong enough to climb or grow up to the 

 height of the walls of ordinary dwelling-houses, 

 provided they have good borders to start in and 

 are well fed afterwards. The following may be 

 specified as among those best adapted for the 

 covering of dwelling houses, stables, out-build- 

 ings, &c., viz., Alfred Colomb, Antoine Ducher, 

 Abel Grand, Beauty of Waltham, Baronne Pre- 

 vost, Boule de Neige, Centifolia rosea, Charles 

 Lefebvre, Comtesse de Chabrillant, Docteur 

 Andre, Duke of Wellington, Duke of Edinburgh, 

 Duchess of Norfolk, Edouard Morren, Elie Morel, 

 Etienne Levet, Ferdinand de Lesseps, Francois 

 Michelon, General Jacqueminot, Glory of Walt- 

 ham, Jules Margottin, La France, Madame Eu- 

 gene Verdier, Madame Ferdinand Jamin, 

 Madame Noman. Madame Victor Verdier. 

 Madame Vidot, Marechal Vaillant, Marie Bau- 

 mann, Marie Rady, Monsieur Noman, Mrs Lax- 

 ton, Paul Neron, Senateur Vaisse, Sir Garnet 

 Wolseley, Sultan of Zanzibar, Victor Verdier, 

 Xavier Olibo, &c. From this list, which might 

 readily be doubled or trebled, it is obvious that 

 if our dwelling-houses are not covered with roses 

 it is at least for no lack of suitable material." 



QUERIES. 



ScHiNUS MOLLE. — This is what our corres- 

 pondent refers to : "I enclose this branch of 

 what my son says is called the Pepper tree in 

 California, having the odor of pepper. He speaks 

 of it as the handsomest tree he saw there. I 

 grew it from seed. What is it, a Locust? Please 

 name it. One planted out that spring grew eight 

 or ten feet. I suppose it will not prove hardy 

 here." 



Ants. — Alpha informs us that ants rapidly 

 made a midnight move after a lawn was sprink- 

 led by an artificial fertilizer, and a rose bush also 

 infested, was cleared of the intruders similarly 

 treated. We have no doubt but that many of 

 these nauseous smelling mixtures would be 

 effective, as the ant has nice smelling powers. 



Propagating the Maiden Hair Tree. — R. T. 

 McN., Jackson, Mich., asks : " What is the best 

 way to propagate Salisburia adiantifolia? Have 

 tried cuttings under glass with no success." 



[You will succeed best by layering. Chooae 

 shoots about one year old, notching the part 

 buried in the earth to facilitate rooting. — Ed. 

 G.M.J 



Varieties of Norway Spruce. — A. T. McN., 

 Jackson, Mich., asks : " Will you plciise answer 

 through the medium of the Gardener's Monthly 

 the following questions : 



" I have noticed that there is a considerable dif- 

 ference in the appearance of different specimens 

 of the Norway Spruce, in respect to habit of 

 growth. Some have a distinctly pendulous 

 character to the small branches, giving them a 

 far richer and more elegant appearance, and 

 reminding one of heavy folds of crape, thus mak- 

 ing them very desirable and ornamental plant- 

 ing for cemeteries. Close inspection reveals no 

 othei' difference between these and the Norway 

 Spruce of upright and cheerful habit, more com- 

 mon here. Are the pendulous specimens a dis- 

 tinct variety, or merely a sport, or neither ? 

 M}' ignorance may appear ridiculous to those 

 familiar with this difference, but one way to learn 

 is to ask." 



[It is a law in all trees that there are no two 

 exactly alike, though some species show a wider 

 range of variation than others. The Norway 

 Spruce especially varies very much. There is no 

 way to select with absolute certainty the pendu- 



