THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[January, 



disagreeable. In France, what we have for Red 



Microphylla, is often called the old purple, as we 

 judge from a note in the Jou7-nal des Roses, from 

 which we condense these remarks. 



They have now started the improvement of this 

 class, and have already Triomphe de la Guillotiere, 

 raised by Guillot in 1864; Premier Essai, by Ge- 

 schwind in 1866; Imbricata, by Ducher in 1869; 

 and Ma Surprise, by J. B. Guillot in 1872. 



Retinospora Fulleri — is a sport from R. 

 aurea plumosa, but instead of the golden tint of 

 the parent, is of a delicate pale green. The 

 branches and foliage are also slenderer. The 

 original plant on the grounds of Mr. A. S. Fuller, 

 of Ridgewood, N. J., is about six feet high. Mr. 

 Fuller is fortunate in observing and perpetuating 

 these pretty sports. George Peabody is one of his 

 discoveries. 



Double Evergreen Candy Tuft. — The single 

 is well known in American gardens as a very 

 pretty early-flowering plant. A double one has 

 been introduced by Messrs. Schmidt, of Erfurt. 



The Upright Elder. ^ — Sambucus pyrimidata 

 (S. columnaris of some catalogues) is the " newest 

 novelty " in French gardens. 



Staphylea Colchica..— This is a species of 

 Bladder-nut from the South of Russia. It is very 

 much like S. Bumalda from Japan, already in 

 cultivation in American gardens, but it flowers 

 later, and has larger bunches of flowers. There 

 are besides these two, two others, S. trifolia, the 

 American, and S. pinnata, an English species, 

 not often seen in gardens nor particularly orna- 

 mental. The American is not showy but sweet- 

 scented. Even the orchard Oriole, an insectivor- 

 ous bird, has been caught tapping its sweets. 



SpiRjEA Aruncus. — A grand plant, not by any 

 means so abundant as it should be in our gardens, 

 owing to its very distinct and effective appearance. 

 Of course there are positions in the garden where it 

 would be out of place, but there are many others to 

 which it would give additional beauty. We have yet 

 much to learn or appreciate in the arrangement of 

 hardy plants. Here is a plant which may be fittingly 

 arranged in the shrubberies, by the margins of 

 lakes, surrounded (taste would suggest) by dark 

 foliaged subjects, such as the copper beeches or 

 nuts, when the white feathery plumes would be seen 

 to much greaterad vantage than otherwise disposed. 

 I may say, for the benefit of those unacquainted 

 with the plant, that it grows from 3 to 4 feet high, 

 with large divided foliage, and immense plumes of 

 white flowers, forming when established most con- 



spicuous objects. I lately saw several masses 3 and 

 4 feet in diameter, and as much high, and nothing 

 could surpass their unique beauty. — T., in Gard- 

 eners' Chronicle. 



Spruce and Pine Hedges. — A correspondent 

 of the Gardeners' Chronicle was surprised to see 

 a hedge of the Norway Spruce in Russia "clipped 

 as a Hawthorn hedge." We believe these hedges 

 are not known in England. In America, Norway 

 Spruce, Hemlock Spruce, and even Scotch and 

 other Pines are in common use, and are found 

 when trimmed to a conical form to make as dura- 

 ble and effective hedges for ornamental purposes 

 as any one could desire. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Handsome ConifeRjE of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. — A rare lover of Coniferse says of species 

 he saw in the lower ranges of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains : " Of all the Western pines P. flexilis pleased 

 me most; next to this I would place P. Murrayana, 

 both for ornamental purposes. The first is superior 

 to P. cembra. although similar in general appear- 

 ance. If I were a nurseryman and twenty years 

 younger I would get up a good stock of these two 

 species of pine, because 1 believe they will become 

 very popular when known." 



Bermuda Grass, — Mr. E. S. Carman says : " I 

 can tell ' R. L. L. ' of Charleston, S. C, that his 

 plan of cutting up Bermuda grass and sowing the 

 cuttings will be entirely successful if he don't allow 

 them to dry out too much. It may interest him 

 and others of your readers to know that seed of the 

 true Bermuda grass ( Cynodon dactylon) has been 

 offered (or sale of late years. " 



Destroying Lichens on the Trunks of 

 Trees. — A subscriber of Newport, R. I. says: 

 " Will you oblige me by giving your opinion as 

 to the best application (wash) for removing or 

 preventing the growth of lichen on the bark of 

 certain trees. I have heard recommended a solu- 

 tion of potash— common whitewash and kerosene 

 oil. In this damp climate, the growth of many 

 trees is much retarded (and in some cases young 

 trees are killed) by this fungous (?) growth. The 

 Elms and Pear trees suffer most, while the Horse 

 Chestnut, the Sugar Maple and Birches seem to 

 enjoy an immunity. An answer in the columns of 

 your Monthly will greatly oblige." 



[Trees which have smooth bark, or trees which 

 have rough bark only after a number of years, are 

 not very liable to be disfigured. The lichen grows 



