1879.J 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



221 



planting. Some trees become very large when 

 growing close together; others, as for instance, 

 poplars, soon kill each other when standing 

 near. A poplar is said to grow large and fast, 

 but it must have all the ground to itself to do it. 

 On the other hand the cedars, and especially the 

 white cedar, will make huge stems when so 

 thick together that a party of a dozen persons 

 traveling through a wood of them can scarcely see 

 any one of their companions at fifty feet away, 

 so thickly do the trunks grow together ; and yet 

 how seldom is this fact taken into account in 

 deciding what forest tree to plant. 



The holly, Ilex opaca, which was once the 

 pride of New Jersey, seems to be getting scarce. 

 Though hardy, so far as low temperature is con.^ 

 cerned,it hates cold wind, and when the country 

 gets opened a little it suffers and disappears. At 

 Atlantic City the famous old specimens which 

 are as large and have as fine trunks as apple 

 trees a century old, also begin to look decrepid. 

 How they grew up in this bleak and exposed 

 sand bank is a mystery ; and as they stood the 

 battle of the seas and the breeze of the north- 

 east for many years, it is strange that they 

 should suffer now. It may be that the buildings 

 forming the miles of streets turn the wind on to 

 the trees on the outskirts of the city witli more 

 destructive effect than in the olden days of 

 nature. 



The beautiful city with its thousands of hand- 

 some shade trees of numerous varieties is a 

 sight to see in a place where but a few years 

 ago it was believed trees would not grow at all. 

 The Gardener's Monthly always taught that 

 when trees were planted thickly together, so as 

 to shelter one another, anything would grow in 

 this bleak place, and now one can see from ex- 

 perience that this is so. 



In gardening also it is pleasant to note that 

 the world moves even at a watering place as 

 well in the direction of trees and flowers as in 

 the line of gas-lit ball-room floors. It is some 

 years since a sketch of things at Atlantic City 

 appeared in the Gardener's Monthly, and 

 then astonishment was expressed that any per- 

 sons of taste could be found Avilling to spend 

 weeks among grand furniture and such misera- 

 ble out-door surroundings. Now there is a great 

 change. The cottages have sweet and shady 

 vines about their doors and over their windows, 

 and shrubs and hardy flowers abound in the 

 gardens. In many cases excellent lawns were 

 observed, and this in soil which a few years 



ago it was doubtful if even a blade of grass 

 would grow. The larger and more pretentious 

 " houses " have much improved in their horti- 

 cultural taste, but are very far yet behind the 

 needs of the people. In the past, wealthy people 

 spent their summers in the country amidst trees 

 and flowei's and nice specimens of landscape 

 gardening. The opening of railroads has brought 

 the seaside to their doors. They may for the 

 moment be attracted by the novelties of the 

 seashore, or the gayeties of fashion, but tlie love 

 of art and taste, especially in flowers and gar- 

 dening, is innate, and only those great summer 

 resorts will be permanently successful that give 

 some attention to these things. 



Horticultural Law. — The law notes of 

 English Horticultural papers furnish curious 

 reading. Here is one man who had some yew 

 trees in his garden, the branches of which hung 

 into the highway. Some one's horse ate some 

 and died thereof, so the plaintiff contended, and 

 sued the owner of the yew tree for damages. 

 The defence was that the horse was a trespasser 

 to all intents and purposes ; that the owner had 

 no business to let his horse eat the boughs. The 

 case was "reserved," but the judge evidently 

 leaned to the idea that the yew tree man ought 

 to pay for the horse. 



Then we pass to another. A father is sued 

 for ?^250 for "button-hole bouquets," sold by a 

 florist to a reckless and worthless young fellow, 

 but a minor. The unfortunate parent plead that 

 under the law he could be held liable for "neces- 

 saries'" only, but he was adjudged to pay the flo- 

 rist's bill. 



New Plants. — The trade in new plants must 

 be something enormous in England, judging by 

 what we find in two new catalogues before us, 

 issued by B. S. Williams, of Upper Holloway, 

 and Mr. Wm. Bull, of Chelsea. By a casual 

 glance we find that if a person were to order 

 but one of each of the many novelties enume- 

 rated in these lists, the bills would run up to 

 some thousands of pounds. 



A Seedling Plant. — The daily papers 

 have accounts of a strange plant from Australia 

 which will send animals to sleep for weeks, 

 months or even years, and they can then be 

 awakened to resume life just at the point they 

 left ofl". It will be a capital thing for insolvent 

 debtors. They can lie away in a box or closet 

 till their importunate persecutors are no more. 

 Rip Van Winkle no doubt ate some of it. 



