August 8, 1908 



HORTICULTURE 



163 



simplicity is the dominant feature. This meadow is 

 also used for golf links. We present this view as a 

 contrast to the park scenes generally published. While 

 devoid of any effort at horticultural effect the picture 

 will inspire an appreciative response in the cultivated 

 mind. During the coming week the American Park 

 Superintendents will be in session at Minneapolis. No 

 department of our art calls for greater intelligence 

 and culture than theirs. To be able to link harmoni- 

 ously the beauty of cultivation and studied adornment 

 with such scenes of spontaneous simplicity as our 

 frontispiece depicts, without weakening the impressive- 

 oess of either, calls for talents of a high order. The 

 park superintendent is constantly being called upon to 

 "sacrifice quality to novelty and real excellence to un- 

 certain worth" and it is greatly to the credit of the men 

 who stand at the head of our many magnificent public 

 reservations that so much of natural beauty has been 

 preserved. 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum 



As one of the most showy trees of the late summer 

 Rhus semialata var. Osbeckii is to be named; it is a low 

 nee with a broad spreading head resembling somewhat 

 that of the southern Umbrella-tree. In bloom, when 

 covered with its broad and dense panicles of creamy 

 white flowers, it is certainly the most conspicuous of the 

 Sumacs in cultivation though in fruit and in the au- 

 tumnal coloring of its foliage it is not so superior to all. 

 The leaves assume only a pleasant brownish red color 

 in fall and the fruits resemble those of the Staghorn 

 Sumac, but are less brilliant in color. 



A tree somewhat similar in habit to the preceding but 

 lower is Koelreuteria paniculaia which is now showing 

 its terminal open panicles of yellow flowers; they are 

 not particularly showy, but tor variety's sake are wel- 

 come at this time of the year. The tree is not perfectly 

 hardy in this neighborhood and suffers in more severe 

 winters. 



Another late flowering tree is Sophora japonica. The 

 rather small whitish flowers are arranged in large and 

 lax panicles and open in succession during several 

 weeks. For this reason they do make a great show, but 

 the loose whitish panicles contrast pleasantly with the 

 'lark green foliage which remains unchanged on the 

 tui until frost sets in. It is a round-headed tree 

 reaching titty or sixty feet in height, is perfectly hardy 

 ami stands drought well, which makes it the more val- 

 uable. The peculiar pendulous variety which is some- 

 times planted is a little more tender. Of late several 

 closely related forms and species have been introduced, 

 hut the plants have not yet flowered and are still too 

 -mall, to make it possible to form an idea how their 

 ornamental qualities will compare with Sophora ja- 

 ponica. 



One of the handsomest of the late flowering shrubs is 

 the Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, which is begin- 



ning to bloom and will continue until frost sets in. 

 There are a great many varieties in cultivation with 

 purple, bluish, white and rose colored, single and double 



flowers: ■ of the prettiesi is a form with double white 



flowers which is now blooming at the Arboretum. TJn- 

 fortunately the shrub is not perfectly hardy, but in a 

 warm and sheltered position will stand even severe 

 winters. 



W ith its huge and open panicles of small purplish 

 flowers Lespedeza bicolor is a very handsome shrub of 

 graceful habit reaching aboul sis or ten feel in height. 

 It is hardier than the later flowering /.. Sieboldii < l>> s- 

 iikkI in in penduliflorum) and to be recommended for 

 sunny borders of shrubberies; it stands drought well. 



The Heather, Calluna vulgaris, with its slender spikes 

 of rosy red flowers is only effective when planted in 

 masses so as to carpet the ground; it grows well in 

 sandy, rocky or peaty soil and may be used for borders 

 of groups of Rhododendrons or other Ericaceous plants. 

 Cut flowering branches keep their life-like appearance 

 in a dry state for many months. There are several va- 

 rieties in cultivation of which the var. alba with white 

 flowers is one of the most desirable to add variety. 



Clematis tangutica of which the feathery fruiting 

 heads were mentioned in the issue of July 25 is now 

 flowering a second time. Though the nodding yellow 

 flowers are large and handsome, they are not as showy 

 as other large-flowered Clematis, since they are tubular 

 in shape. 



The fruits of Viburnum Opulus, or as it is perhaps 

 more correctly called 1". americanum, are assuming a 

 yellow or orange yellow color and will be from now 

 until next spring among the most conspicuous of the 

 ornamental fruits. Viburnum Lantana has for a short 

 time bright red fruits which, however, are already be- 

 ginning to take on their final bluish black color. Fruits 

 of similar clor but without first changing to red are 

 borne by V. pubescens. Mure conspicuous are the dark 

 lilne fruits of V. dentaium. 



The branches of Elaeagnus multiflora are now thickly 

 studded with dark red fruits of about pea-size, while 

 the larger pendulous fruits of E. longipes are beginning 

 to shrivel. Elaeagnus multiflora is often confounded 

 with E. umbellata which ripens its fruits still later and 

 has a more silvery looking foliage. 



Cotoneaster integerrima (C. vulgaris) is very hand- 

 some with it-- bright red fruits; it is a low shrub which 

 stands drought well and is particularly adapted for 

 rocky slopes. 



Lonicera Maximowit is much handsomer now with 

 its nodding glossy Ecarlet fruits than with its rather 

 insignificant violet flowers. Another of the later fruit- 

 ing Honeysuckles is L. chrysanfha which has bright red 

 fruits, brighter than those of the allied L. Xylosteum 

 and /.. Morrowii. M less conspicuous are the bluish 

 black fruits of L. m 



