May 9, 190S 



HORTICULTURE 



623 



hardy in most locations, "providing they are fairly well 

 protected in winter." See concluding paragraph in pre- 

 vious article. At this period an account of how we 

 handle certain varieties, is quite unnecessary where 

 rhododendrons are concerned, we liud the intelligent 

 gardener, no matter whether he is in the vicinity of 

 Boston or any other part of America, will set about 

 to achieve his object unostentatiously and allow the 

 result to prove so far as he is personally concerned, 

 which varieties are hardy and which are tender. A list 

 • of iron-clad varieties is always a very interesting docu- 

 ment to have beside one. There will always remain how- 

 ever a certain percentage of progressive and enterprising 

 people who deviate from the beaten track of the printed 



list, by importing direct from Europe varieties which 

 though not iron-clads are yet in a practical meaning of 

 the word perfectly hardy. Those people I have fre- 

 quently noticed have been successful with some varieties, 

 with which others, "even experts/' have failed. 



The title "Dreadnaught Rhododendrons," I most re- 

 spectfully append to Mr. Koehler's list, for his kind 

 consideration and valued approval. 



■-#^4^^.^ 



North Easton, Mass. 



A Practical Screen 



■^^mm: 



Very frequently there is need of a screen, and in all 

 such cases the need is urgent. If it were possible to 

 advertise for .such a thing ready ma.de, and be sure of 

 getting it. the "ad" would run something like this: 

 "Wanted at once, a screen. Must be of shimmering 

 green leaves trom the ground to the top. Must be 

 impenetrable; must be very cheap; must take care of 

 it,<clf ; must lie sightly in summer as well as in winter." 

 That nn'ght read like the ravings of a crazy man but 

 it is far from it as I have the solution of the subject 

 in my back lot and it answers the requirements of the 

 "ad" to a dot. and a little bit more. 



I needed a screen and I wanted it badly. There were 

 many things to use but I decided on the Carolina Poplar. 

 I put in a row of these and cut them back well. In front 

 of these I planted Vibiirnum Opulus. The poplars got 

 very busy growing and after a few severe cutting's they 

 kept sending out new wood down to the ground. In the 

 second year they were ten feet high and densely leaved. 

 As a screen it answered all requirements, but since tlnit 

 time the viliurnums have been arowinir and durinir the 



winter months they furnish a gorgeous decoration of 

 vivid red berries that hang until the leaves again shoot 

 out. 



It may be objected that the poplars are undesirable 

 for many obvious reasons. Sure they are under some 

 treatment but if you want a screen of moderate height 

 \ou must cut them hard to get the new wood and by 

 this cutting 3'ou also fool the borers. A sharp spade will 

 keep the roots at home but beyond this there is no 

 work. If you let the trees have full swing they will in 

 a short time get on very friendly terms with the family 

 and walk right into the house too and later dump a ton 

 of dead wood on the house when they have grown up 

 a hundred feet. But if you want a screen, plant the 

 Carolina Poplar and give it the knife good and hard. 

 For an artistic proposition jmt the viliurnums in front. 



