April 3, 1909 



HORTI CULTURE 



481 



nian willow (Salix Babylonica), and 

 the white willow (Salix alba) with Its 

 brownish yellow branches, the white 

 poplar (Populus alba) and its fastigi- 

 ate variety BoUeana with their grey- 

 green bark, Acer Pennsylvanlcum with 

 its white striped bark and greenish 

 twigs, the red birch (Betula nigra) 

 with its brown bark, the canoe birch 

 (Betula papyrifera), the white birch 

 (Betula populifolia), and the European 

 white birch (Betula alba) are the 

 most beautiful white barked trees. 

 Their giaceful outlines are one of the 

 delights of winter landscape, but un- 

 fortunately they are afflicted with the 

 birch borer, which, in some localities. 

 Is so destructive that the culture of 

 the trees has been abandoned. When 

 it is possible for them to thrive they 

 are charming if planted along with 

 some of the pines, such as the white 

 pine (Plnus strobus), and the pitch 

 pine (Pinus rigida). The birches also 

 thrive in sandy soil, which is favorable 

 to the pines themselves. The effect of 

 the white bark against the perpetual 

 green background of the pines is to 

 many more delightful in winter than 

 when the birches are covered with 

 their summer foliage. This beautiful 

 effect is particularly noticeable in the 

 region of Albany, N. Y., where it is 

 the feature of the winter landscape. 

 The Mixed Forest. 

 Excellent winter effects are also ob- 

 tained by what the forester terms the 

 "Mixed Forest." which is a mixture of 

 deciduous and coniferous trees. This 

 forest growth is often to be found 

 along the Great Lakes belt, and the ef- 

 fect is often very beautiful. It would 

 be well if we would learn from nature 

 and reproduce these effects in our 

 parks and large estates. While it is 

 out of the realm of this paper to men- 

 tion fall coloration effects, this "Mixed 

 Forest" effect is unparalleled when we 

 behold the tints of the maples mixed 

 with the dark green pines, and the im- 

 pression produced is one that lingers 

 In the memory of the most casual 

 observer. 



The Conifers. 

 Wbile we can secure much pleasure 

 from the observation of trees in their 

 bark, twig and fruit formation, yet 

 the most impressive winter effects are 

 largely produced by using the haray 

 coniferous evergreen with a lavish 

 hand. In this connection it may be 

 said that an infinite variety of ever- 

 greens is not necessary to produce fine 

 effects, and while the list of the iron- 

 clad evergreens, suitable for northern 

 climate, is woefully short, yet we have 

 no reason to be disturbed. On larger 

 places the liberal planting of pines 

 and hemlocks for screening unsightly 

 buildings and checking the force of 

 the winter winds will have much to do 

 with the successful treatment of the 

 place, for one can better appreciate 

 the subtile beauties of a winter land- 

 scape if protected from the force of 

 the icy wind by an effective screen of 

 tall and stately evergreen trees. The 

 most useful large growing pines for 

 northern planting are the white pine 

 (P. Strobus), the Austrian pine (P. 

 Austriaca), and the Scotch pine (P. 

 sylvestr's). The soft effect of the deli- 

 cate needles of the white pine when 

 young, and its stately appearance 

 when old, place it pre-eminently in 

 the lead, while the larger needles of 



Short Course Class at Massachusetts Agricultural College 



the Austrian and Scotch pines contrast 

 well and give variety. The only ob- 

 jection to the use of the American 

 hemlock is that it cannot be employed 

 near large cities on account of the 

 smoke and sulphur gases, which are 

 always present in manufacturing dis- 

 tricts. In both large and small places 

 the Douglass spruce (Pseudotsuga 

 Douglassi) with its dark green foliage 

 and the Colorado blue spruce (Picea 

 pungens) and its varieties, glauca and 

 Kosteriana, give variety to the winter 

 landscape. For immediate effect and 

 for filling in between the more perma- 

 nent pines and spruces the Norway 

 spruce (Picea excelsa) is useful, but as 

 it very often outlives its usefulness at 

 an early age it is only useful for the 

 purpose of temporary effects. The 

 mountain pine (P. Mughus) is the 

 most useful of the low growing ever- 

 greens for our northern climate and is 

 not out of place on the smallest lawn 

 When massed at the foot of largei 

 evergreens it is extremely effective. 

 Some of the junipers can safely be em- 

 ployed in the north. And by far the 

 most effective of all is Juniperus vir- 

 giniana glauca the glacuous form of 

 the common red cedar. It is much 

 more hardy than the type and it will 

 thrive in the smoky atmosphere of 

 the city as will no other cedar. Its 

 whitish effect, like that of the Colorado 

 blue spruce, is particularly striking. 

 •Tuniperus Chinensis stricta is also an 

 evergreen of the first rank for the 

 north. 



For low planting (Juniperus Sabina) 

 the savin Juniper is excellent, while 

 Juniperus communis var. nana, which 

 is still lower in growth, gives us an 

 opportunity to produce an evergreen 

 carpet when it is desired. As a useful 

 hardy evergreen we cannot overlook 

 the .Tapanese yew (Taxus cuspidata). 

 It is a welcome addition to the list of 

 really hardy evergreens. The Ameri- 

 can arborvitae (Thuya occidentalis) 

 in its numerous varieties is also useful 

 as a northern evergreen, but prefers 

 the shelter given by wind breaks. Its 



golden variety (Var. aurea) is extreme- 

 ly useful as it is really golden and 

 adds a touch of bright color which 

 harmonizes well with the prevailing 

 deep green of the majority of ever- 

 greens. In sheltered positions it is 

 safe to use the pea fruited retinospora 

 (R pisifera), and in some cases the 

 silver retinospora (R. squarrosa var. 

 Veitchii), but although this is fairly 

 hardy it is often injured by the winter 

 sun While the evergreens enumerated 

 do not include all of the coniferae that 

 are hardv along the region of the 

 Great Lakes, yet they do include the 

 verv hardiest species, and these are 

 sufficient to produce a winter picture, 

 which as far as coniferae are con- 

 cerned, will be effective and leave lit- 

 tle to be desired. 



The Broad Leaved Evergreens. 

 What is true of the paucity of the 

 really hardy coniferous evergreens in 

 the Groat Lakes or northern regions, 

 is still more true of the broad leaved 

 evergreens. One of the very few which 

 is hardy under all conditions is the 

 Yucca {Y. filamentosa); when planted 

 in large masses it is a cheering sight 

 in winter, to say nothing of its pro- 

 fusion of bloom in summer. It is 

 doubly welcome, but its value as a 

 winter plant is its chief asset. Even a 

 solitarj' specimen on the lawn is an 

 evidence of life in the snow. 



The rhododendrons, which are first 

 thought of among the broad leaved 

 evergieens. can be used safely and et- 

 fectively in the northern part of the 

 northern states, but only under the 

 most ideal conditions, and with the 

 best of care, and it is only too often 

 that thev eke out a bare existence 

 Conditions under which they would 

 flourish in the regions of New York 

 and Philadelphia would be fatal in the 

 lake regions, and success is only 

 reached by eternal vigilance. When 

 such a sight is seen as that m High- 

 land Park, Rochester, N. Y., we are 

 forced to believe that rhododendrons 

 will thrive and be considered a factor 



