OSAGE ORANGE FOR HEDGES. 



that are abundant in every part of the middle states, and that are, nevertheless, sel- 

 dom to be seen in any of our gardens or nurseries, from one end of the country to the 

 other. The defect is the more to be deplored, because our ornamental plantations, so 

 far as they are evergreen, consist almost entirely of pines and firs — all narrow-leaved 

 evergreens — far inferior in richness of foliage, to those we have mentioned. 



The Native Holly grows from Long-Island to Florida, and is quite abundant in the 

 woods of New- Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. It forms a shrub or small tree, vary- 

 ing from four to forty feet in height — clothed with foliage and berries of the same or- 

 namental character as the European Holly — except that the l^af is a shade lighter in 

 its green. The plant too, is perfectly hardy, even in the climate of Boston — while the 

 European Holly is quite too tender for open air culture in the middle states — notwith- 

 standing that peaches ripen here in orchards, and in England only on walls. 



The American Laurel or Kalmia, is too well known in all parts of the country to 

 need any description. And what new shrub, we would ask, is there — whether from 

 the Himmalaj'as or the Andes, whether hardy or tender, which surpasses the Ameri- 

 can Laurel when in perfection — as to the richness of its dark green foliage, or the ex- 

 quisite delicacy and beauty of its gay masses of flowers ? If it came from the high- 

 lands of Chili, and were recently introduced, it would bring a guinea a plant, and no 

 grumbling ! 



Granting all this, let our readers who wish to decorate their grounds with something 

 new and beautiful, undertake now, in this month of May, (for these plants are best 

 transplanted after they have commenced a new growth,) to plant some laurels and hol- 

 lies. If they would do this quite successfully, they must not stick them here and 

 there among other shrubs in the common border — but prepare a bed or clump, in some 

 cool, rather shaded aspect — a north slope is better than a southern one — where the sub- 

 soil is rather damp than dry. The soil should be sandy or gravelly, with a mixture 

 of black earth vrell decomposed, or a cart-load or two of rotten leaves from an old 

 wood, and it should be at least 18 or 20 inches deep, to retain the moisture in a long 

 drouth. A bed of these fine evergreens, made in this way, will be a feature in the 

 grounds, which, after it has been well established for a few years, will convince you 

 far better than any words of ours, of the neglected beauty of our American plants. 



OSAGE ORANGE FOR HEDGES. 



BY B. HODGE, BUFFALO, N. Y. 



A. J. DowNTiKG, Esq. — Dear Sir: During the past few years I have had very many 

 inquiries relative to the Osage Orange as a hedge plant — whether it would endure the se- 

 verity of hard winters, &c. For the purpose of enabling me to answer these inquiries 

 understandingly, two years ago I procured and planted a quantity of the seed. The 

 season, (1849,) they made a growth of nearly two feet — and when the cold frosts 



