1876.] 



AND HORTIGULTURmT. 



131 



on this subject I propose to send to the Garden- 

 er's Monthly at some future thiie. 



[In addition to the above, we have the follow- 

 ing from Mr. K. Linsley, West Meriden, Conn.] 



" I notice the enquiry of J. McB., of Boston, 

 on page 77, March number, and send you a sam- 

 ple of a plant lifted last fall, the old roots 

 ' clubbed,' as we call it — the young roots grown 

 quite recently showing the same thing, — the 

 ground occupied is a fine loam, well underdrain- 

 ed. Some of the plants died in the garden, 

 others after we lifted, and others in the same 

 plot showed no disease, but have not flowered as 

 well as usual. The disease affects them much as 

 ' club ' does cabbage, but the process is not the 

 eame at all, and is much longer in destroying 

 the plant. I have forwarded a sample to Prof. 

 C. V. Riley, St. Louis, Mo. There is at the same 

 time a fungus on the leaf." 



EVERGREENS. 



BY MR. E. MANNING, HAREISBURG, O. 



I have been much interested in looking over 

 our friend Hoopies' selection of ornamental trees, 

 &c. Although I regard his selection as a very 

 good one, and his opinion and experience as of 

 the first importance, yet I think a few more ad- 

 ditions might be safely made. 



I would add to his list of twelve deciduous 

 trees of large size as very choice, Weir's cut. 

 leaved Maple, very beautiful ; laciniata or eagle's 

 claw ; and gold-leaved Maple, both very fine, and 

 also purpurea. To his twelve medium sized trees 

 I w^ould add Betula laciniata pendula, and Alnus 

 imperialis laciniatus pendula, both good and dis- 

 tinct ; Glyptostrobus sinensis pendula, perfectly 

 hardy here and nothing more beautiful, Kilmar- 

 noch Weeping Willow — grafted high — and Salis- 

 buria variegata, which is much more charm- 

 ing than the common variety. I w'ould add to 

 his twelve small sized deciduous trees, Exochorda 

 grandiflora and a variety of Althaeas, blooming 

 as they do so late in the season; and by all 

 means Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora, if 

 thought large enough to come into this class. 

 For twelve conifers of large and medium size, 

 let me put first, Picea Parsonsiana as the most 

 beautiful and faultless of all. My largest specimen 

 is eleven feet high, and has proven hardier than 

 the famed Nordmanniana, which is frequently 

 browned and has even had its leader killed by se- 

 vere weather. I fully endorse all Mr. Parsons 



says of its beauty and am glad to find Prof. Sar- 

 gent speaks of it in high termsl Pinus excelsa all 

 should have for its great beauty. Abies Canaden- 

 sis macrophylla, I should judge, will never make 

 more than a moderate- sized tree; it is much more 

 beautiful than the common variety, having leaves 

 of a dark green, and it is more hardy. It is one 

 of the very best and should be better known. 



When we come to small sized evergreens we 

 must not forget Juniperus glauca, from Japan, 

 beautiful and hardy, also J. glauca Americana, 

 and J. viridis pendula. The J. drupacea aurea 

 does very well wdth me, but I fail to see how it 

 differs from J. Japonica. I have three distinct 

 kinds of variegated forms, all entirely hardy. 



Biota semper-aurea is with me the very best of 

 its class — it has stood out for four years. It is of 

 spherical form and of the brightest yellow color, 

 and is more beautiful than elegantissima, and 

 holds its color better in winter than any other. 

 You could pass it every day for months, and see 

 some new beauty in.it every time. Louis Van 

 Houtte, of Ghent, speaks in the highest terms of 

 this little gem. Buxus latifolia, B, glauca, B. au- 

 rea variegata and longifolia should be in every 

 collection. So should Cephalotaxus Fortuni, 

 Avhich is the only thing of the Yew family that 

 has succeeded here. Picea Numidica and P. cili- 

 cica are two comparatively new Firs, and should 

 they prove hardy, will stand in the front rank, 

 particularly the former. I have great hopes of 

 this, and of P. amabilis. We all have our pets, 

 and these are mine. 



RHODODENDRON ARBOREUM. 



BY W^ALTER ELDER, PHILA. 



The scarlet Rhododendron arboreum, was first 

 introduced into British gardens in 1820, from 

 Nepal. The late James Cunningham, nursery- 

 man in Edinburgh, found it in a London nursery, 

 bought it for a high price and took it home. 

 The peculiar comeliness of its foliage attracted 

 his love for the plant. When it bloomed, he waa 

 transported with joy. The leaves are of a delicate 

 green on the upper sides, and richly silvered on 

 beneath. The blossom is of rich scarlet crimson^ 

 of great brilliancy, and of the finest texture. The 

 plant was a model of perfection. During its sea- 

 son of blooming, other species were set around 

 it, to be impregnated by it, to originate new va- 

 rieties. I had the care of it fiom the autumn of 

 1831, to the late spring of 1834. During that time 



