January 26, 1907 



HORTICULTURE 



93 



Ornamental Conifers 



(Continued.) 



Alillia CEPHALONICA 

 Dana Island— Height, 40 ft. 



LARIX (larch or tamarack) 



Larix, so useful for its wood, is found in the most 

 northern part of Europe, Asia and America. They are 

 the last trees foimd in the far north therefore they are 

 all very hardy. The gracefulness of their more or less 

 pendant twigs and the light gi-een of their foliage 

 especially in the growing time, makes them very at- 

 tractive objects on the most exposed hillsides, where 

 they can be planted in masses; also when isolated they 

 make very ornamental trees. There are only a few 

 species and from a horticultural point of view there is 

 very little difference between them. From America we 

 have L. occidentalis, the northwest larch. L. laricina, 

 or Americana, the common northeast tamarack. L. 

 Lyallii is an alpine tree which grows m the northern 

 part of the Sierras. L. Europjea is the European larch 

 which has a pendulous and a glaucous form. L. 

 siberica is found in north Russia and west Siberia. 

 L. dahurica is found in east Siberia and leptolepis 

 grows in Japan. L. Griffithii from Himalaya is the 

 most delicate and also the most difficult to grow. It has 

 long pendant branchlets. Larches are all deciduous 

 and take a golden yellow color in the fall before drop- 

 ping their needles. 



Pseudo-larix. or laricopsis (a new name) Kaempferii, 

 the Chinese golden larch, is a beautiful large-growing 

 tree which has the needles larger than those of the other 

 larches, tlie branchlets are not drooping and the ap- 

 pearance of the tree is of a more horizontal spreading 

 habit. In the fall the yellow color of the needles is 

 more intense. 



Ceduus atlantica glauca 



at Dosoiis, L. I.— Height, 30 ft. 



CEDRUS 



Through their foliage the cedars have some resem- 

 blance to the larches, only their needles are stifE and 

 more persistent. Cedars are the most magnificent tree« 

 where they ran be grown. 



C. atlantica from Africa is the only one about hardy 

 in our climate, and it requires a sheltered place. The 

 glauca and aurea forms are fine trees and a sight on 

 a big lawn where they can be' sheltered from north and 

 northwest winds. Like most of the conifers, trees of a 

 certain size which ripen well their growth stand severe 

 winters better than young plants which grow late 

 through the season and have their wood not ripened 

 when frost comes. 



C. Libani (Cedar of Lebanon) is the oldest known 

 species. While C. atlantica has an erect habit of 

 growth this one extends its limbs in a more horizontal 

 way. Those who have seen them growing in England 

 know what a majestic looking tree this is ; but it is less 

 hardy than the Atlas cedar. 



C. Deodara. the largest growing and, when young, 

 the most graceful of the three. There are a few forms 

 of it. We had a dozen imported trees which grew well 

 for a few years ; they were about twelve feet high, when 

 the winter 1899-90 (I think it was) killed them all and 

 many other things. So I do not think they can be 

 grown further north than Washington, or may be 

 Philadelphia in selected situations. 



(To be continued.) 



