258 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[September, 



Many persons who have but a few of these 

 plants, will like to raise some more. The end of 

 the month is a good time to take off cuttings, 

 unless the weather be very warm. Of those we 

 have named, all but the Pyrns and Almond Avill 

 grow by cuttings. These two grow by pieces of 

 roots. Cuttings should be made about four or 

 six inches long, and planted out in rows, and set 

 two or three inches below the surface of the 

 ground. In spring planting we put them right 

 level with the surface. 



In many parts of the Northern States the 

 leaves will have changed color previous to the 

 incoming of winter, and the planting of trees 

 and shrubs will commence as soon as the first 

 fall showers shall have cooled the atmosphere 

 and moistened the soil. Further south, where the 

 season will still remain " summer " a while longer, 

 the soil, may, at any rate, be prepared, that all 

 may be in readiness when the right season does 

 come. What leaves remain on should be stripped 

 off, and the main shoots shortened. They will 

 then do better than if planted very late. In foot, 

 if planting cannot be finished before the begin- 

 ning of November in the Northern and Middle 

 States, it is better, as a rule, deferred till spring. 

 In those States where little frost occurs, this rule 

 will not apply. The roots of plants grow all 

 winter, and a plant set out in the fall has the 

 advantage over spring set trees, that its roots in 

 spring are in a position to supply the tree at 

 once with food. This is, indeed, the theory fall 

 planters rely on ; but in practice it is found that 

 severe cold dries up the wood, and the frosts draw 

 out the roots, and thus more than counterbal- 

 ance any advantage from the pushing of new 

 roots. Very small plants arc, therefore, best left 

 till spring for their final planting. It is, how- 

 ever, an excellent plan to get young things on 

 hand in fall, and bury them entirely with earth, 

 until wanted in spring. Such things make a 

 stronger growth the next season, than if just dug 

 before transplanting. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



CENTENNIAL RHODODENDRONS. 



BY S. B. PARSONS. 



The Editorial Notes of the Gardener's Monthly 

 are always interesting, because the Editor is also 

 a connoisseur. His admiration of the colors in 

 Mr. Waterer's tent was very natural and just, for 



they were worthy of it. I would like to supple- 

 ment them by giving our experience of the va- 

 rieties he names. Of the twenty-four he names, 

 there are "just four, no more," which will en- 

 dure our summer and winter. The remaining 

 twenty, however beautiful in tent or in green- 

 house, are utterly worthless when planted in the 

 open ground. All w^ho try them will have a poor 

 opinion of Rhododendrons. 



I once saw on the mountain sides back of the 

 town of La Guayra some five acres of Scarlet 

 Cactus in full bloom. The colors were magnifi- 

 cent, but I did not incline to transfer them to 

 Flushing soil, nor would I incline to transfer 

 the contents of Mr. Waterer's tent to the same 

 locality. There are Rhododendrons, however, 

 which are perfectly hardy in American climate, 

 and doubtless Mr. Waterer has them. These 

 high colors are, however, not found among them, 

 but belong to sorts which are adapted only to 

 greenhouse culture. 



MR. HOVEY'S ARBORETUM AMERICANUM. 



EY J. M. 



I am a great lover of trees, and was interested 

 in reading the list of what specimens Mr. Hovey 

 has. One hundred and seventy-two species and 

 varieties on one's grounds must be a source of 

 great pleasure to the fortunate possessor. I must, 

 however, confess to a disappointment in not find- 

 ing among his list many an old favorite of mine; 

 the more so as Mr. H. says he has endeavored to 

 procure every tree which would be likely to prove 

 hardy. Surely very many of our native Quercvs, 

 Carya and Fraxinxis, which are wanting in his 

 collection would live with hirfl. I would name 

 the Quercus bicolor, Q. imhricaria, Q. Prinua, Q. 

 nigra, Q.fulcata, Q. tinctoria and Q. caslanea, and 

 perhaps even Q. Phellos as being entirely hardy 

 and quite easily jjrocured. The Q. hicolor, Q.fal- 

 cata and Q. imhricaria are especially beautiful 

 trees, the former growing to magnificent propor- 

 tions, with leaves of the most glossy green, 



I miss, too, the Carya microcarpa, C. amara, C. 

 olivo'/ormis, C. tomentosa, C. sulcata, the most of 

 them the commonest of our grand forest trees, 

 and all of them of easy procurement. And 

 there are the Fraximis sambucifolia, F. quadran- 

 gulata, F. pubescens and F. viridvs, all hardy and 

 common ; and perhaps even the F. plotycnrpa 

 would live there. With those above nameil oth- 

 ers could readily be added to make perhaps forty 

 species of American trees not on his list. If to 



