THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



{January, 



Along the sidewalks and other vacant places 

 in the city we often meet with a peculiar small 

 tree with thorns and green bark and yellow 

 flowers; it is theParkinsonia aculeata, a denizen 

 of the lower Rio Grande valley, but acclimatized 

 in Austin and other cities of Texas. It is a legu- 

 minosse, suborder csesalpinese. Its pinnate leaves 

 are over a foot long, leaflets very small and 

 numerous, quarter of an inch long and one-six- 

 teenth of an inch wide ; the mid-rib of the leaf is 

 flattened, and when the leaflets drop off", which 

 they easily do, the leaves, or rather leaflets give 

 the tree the appearance of being clothed with 

 grass instead of leaves. It flowers abundantly 

 from early Summer to late in Fall,and at the date 

 I write this, October 24th, there is in my yard one 

 of these trees covered all over with flowers. 



Another stranger, is the so-called Willow Ca- 

 talpa, Chilopsis lineata, which is frequently 

 seen in gardens and yards. It is a straight and 

 tall tree, growing over twenty feet high ; its 

 leaves are small, resembling Willow leaves, 

 hence the name ; it has terminal flower-spikes of 

 a purplish color, which are in shape like those of 

 the Catalpa, and blooms from May to Autumn, 

 never suffering from dry or hot weather. 



Csesalpinia (Poinciana) pulcherrima is hardy, 

 and Daubentonia magnifica also, but the last 

 named does not seem to do so well as the former. 



Of Holland Bulbs, Hyacinths and Polyanthus 

 Karcissus do best. Our early Summer forces the 

 Hyacinths into bloom in March or even sooner? 

 so the early varieties are the best. Roman Nar. 

 cissus bloom, if planted in October, usually about 

 New Year, when they are cut down by frost i^ 

 the flower-buds were not already before. 



Only the early varieties of Tulips will do here. 

 I planted once a dozen late flowering, on the 

 north side of my house, but I did not get as many 

 bulbs when I took them up as when I planted 

 them, and the next year even these perished, 

 our Winters are evidently too warm and too short] 



I am only acquainted with three species of 

 Lilies that stand the chances in the garden : 

 Lilium candidum, L. tigrinum, and L. longiflo- 

 rum; Lilium speciosum and L.auratum flower too 

 late in the season when the sun is too hot; 

 and of the other species I do not know that an 

 attempt has been made to cultivate them except 

 as pot plants. 



THE RETINOSPORAS. 



BY S. C. MOON, MORRLSVILLE, PA. 



The Retinosporas are a class of evergreens 



well deserving of more attention, and of much 

 more general distribution than they have yet 

 received. 



Most of the varieties mentioned in this article 

 were introduced from Japan, and have been in 

 circulation among the nurserymen in this country 

 from ten to twenty years. It is surprising, so 

 long after introduction, that many persons who 

 are tolerably well acquainted with ornamental 

 trees, know very little of the habits and merits 

 of the Retinosporas, or entertain very incorrect 

 ideas about them. An erroneous opinion seems 

 to have gained credence among many gardeners 

 and nurserymen, as well as with others, that 

 they are not entirely hardy, and will not stand 

 without protection through the winter. This is 

 a very mistaken prejudice, which should be cor- 

 rected. 



Every one of the varieties herein described, 

 is entirely hardy in the latitude of Philadelphia, 

 and we believe would be, as far Korth as Bos- 

 ton, or further. Perhaps some of our friends 

 from that section, can tell us of their experience 

 with them. 



We have had most of them standing on our 

 grounds, unprotected, for the past ten or twelve 

 years, but in all that time, have never seen one 

 of them injured in the least by heat or cold, ex- 

 cept in the case of obtusa nana aurea, as no- 

 ticed below. They appear to be as hardy as 

 Hemlock or Norway Spruce, or any others of 

 the old and popular evergreens, and are of 

 equally easy culture. They thrive in any good 

 soil or situation where other evergreens will, 

 and may be confidently recommended, and 

 planted almost anywhere. 



We would especially recommend R. plumosa, 

 plumosa aurea, obtusa nana, and squarrosa, 

 for planting in small yards and cemetery lots. 

 They are all moderate in habit of growth, and 

 will endure shearing well, consequently can be 

 kept within reasonable size. Plumosa, and 

 plumosa aurea, are pyramidal in habit, attain- 

 ing a height of six or eight feet in as many 

 years. They are quite similar in nearly all 

 points except color. Their foliage is fine and 

 soft, giving the tree the appearance of a heavy 

 plume, as the name implies. 



The color of plumosa is light green. Plumo- 

 sa aurea, is one of the most beautiful of the 

 golden evergreens at all seasons of the year, but 

 especially in Summer. When the tree starts to 

 grow in the Spring, the young shoots are a rich 

 shade of golden yellow, and it calls' forth al- 



