September 2S, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



409 



Autumn Tints in Trees and 

 Shrubs 



Probabl_y above all others, this country is favored in 

 the possession of a large li&t of trees and slinibs wliich 

 gladden tbo landscape -with their brilliant coloring in 

 the fall, and also in having climatic conditions which 

 favor in a marked degree the bringing out of such col- 

 ors to a high state of perfection. In Great Britain this 

 yearly transformation cannot be so sanguinely expected 

 as is the case in this country, for one is not so sure there 

 of a dry sunny autumn M'hich from general observation 

 seems to be eonduciv.e to the production of the beauti- 

 ful coloratioir during the period of those mysterious 

 chemical changes taking place within the leaf of the 

 plant. 



Again, it seems that a too vigorous growth due to an 

 exceeding wet summer or a very rich soil makes a good 

 display in the fall less likely, especially should a wet 

 summer be followed by a dull fall, but, with the 

 weather as we generally get it here, a vigorous growth 

 means a greater wealth of color and year by year we 

 look forward with delight to the transfiguration which 

 comes over n^any of our deciduous trees and shrubs 

 even though we know it betokens for them the coming 

 sleep of wintei. Firsu and foremost among trees noted 

 for their fine colors we must place the oaks, not because 

 there are no others that possess even more striking 

 shades, but there are none which retain their leaves for 

 so long a tjjnc after the color has been acquired, and 

 what finer sight could be desired than the scarlet or the 

 pin oak when in their autumn glory. The Sweet Gum 

 (Liquidiamber styraciflora) and the Sour Gum (Nyssa 

 multiflora) are also a worthy pair with their dull red 

 burnished foliage. 



Trees furnishing j-ellow tints are not lacking, for the 

 elm, birch, tulip tree, horsechestnut and a few of the 

 large maples, as the Norway, sugar, and the European 

 sycamore maple, all add their individual beauty. Touch- 

 ing on maples, what is more beautiful than the several 

 varieties of Japanese maples, charming are they from 

 the time they unfold their tender foliage until, tinged 

 with their dying color, the leaves drop one by one, the 

 effect being heightened when a group of them is backed 

 u]3 by some gi'aceful growing evergreen. 



Quite a few more trees might be mentioned as pos- 

 sessing .Tutumnal beaulv in a greater or less degree, but 

 the shrul'< claim a share of our attention, for among 

 these, too, v>-e have some rich colors, as in the sumachs, 

 all of which afford a wealth of warm color to the land- 

 scape and for this reason large plantings are made on 

 many estates of J]hus typhina and R. glabra, .\mong 

 the lower growing shrubs few can surpass the little Ber- 

 beris Thunbergii in its persistent beauty in the fall and 

 if onlv for this it will surely remain a favorite with 

 everybody. The jnollis section of the azaleas, though 

 fleeting in their autumn beautv, gives us some rare 

 sliades in crimson, red and gold, as also do their near 

 allies. Vaccinium corvmbosum. while another pi-etty lit- 

 tle shrub is Fcthergilla alnifolia. 



A. few of the viburnums acquire attractive colors, as 

 viburnum opulus and cassinoides while the tiny foliage 

 of SjiirEea Thunbergii though transitory, is very pretty 

 when it puts on its autumn garb. The brambles, Rubus 

 fruticosus and varieties also may be mentioned as 

 alfording charming effects planted in wild positions 

 where little else would grow and rewarding us gener- 

 ously in the fall with shades of coloring which ought to 

 raise them higher in our esteem. 



Lastly a word for some of the vines which all through 

 the summer make beautiful many an otherwise rough 

 and uncouth view and assume rare hues for several 

 weeks in the fall. Of these none is more beautiful than 

 the general favorite Ampelopsis Veitchii which even at 

 this early date is commencing to bronze, a sign of the 

 coming of fall. The Virginia creeper, though perhaps 

 not quite as good as the former, is very showy, how- 

 ever, while Vitis Coignetise with its large ornamental 

 foliage and Vitis Thunbergii, both of which are not so 

 often seen in this country as they should be, are a sight 

 not easily forgotten, assumiing as they do a rich crim- 

 son coloring, and when at last "The melancholy days 

 are come and heaped in the hollows of the grove, the 

 autumn leaves lie dead" we cannot forget that they 

 were once beautiful. 



Jj^-^yt- 



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A Few Remarks on Phlox Decus- 

 sata 



At first sight the i'hlox decussata is perhaps as easy 

 to cultivate as any other hardy plant, but it is a plant 

 that when once in the garden is ver\- much neglected, 

 to its detriment. How many dealers have experienced 

 complaints from their customers, that their phloxes 

 are not as handsome as they were, they are deteriorat- 

 ing, that the spikes and individual flowers are smaller, 

 which shows neglect in some form or other. 



There are three good reasons for this backward ten- 

 dency: First (not often seen), is want of sufficient 

 nourishment; second, they have been too long in one 

 bed ; and third, let me emphasize the point strongly, 

 the growth is never thinned out. The best time to do 

 this thinning is when growth is one or two inches high. 

 There are sure to bo a number of weak shoots ; do not 

 cut them off, but pull them up — if you cut them they 

 will branch and grow again. 



Another complaint that frequently comes forward is, 

 ■'\Miy do my phloxes mildew?" It is this failing to 

 tliin out the shoots when young that probably causes 

 mildew about flowering time. How can they help be- 

 coming unhealthy, with so many more stems to feed 

 than the plant caii conveniently look after, so that when 

 hot, close days come there is no proper circulation of 

 air. I do not say you will not have mildew if you 

 follow above, but there is decidedly less chance of it. 



A splendid preventive for mildew is a peck of lime 

 and half a pound of sulphur. Slack the lime and apply 

 sulphur at the same time. Wien well mixed, place in 

 a vessel sufficiently large enough to allow of four or 

 five inches of clear liquid after settling. Let stand for 

 two or three days. One iiart of the liquid to eight or 

 ten parts water is strong enough. Use about twice a 

 week. Stir well and fill up mixture after using each 

 time, and it will last all summer. 



