1882. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



291 



plant tlie female trees only. As this tree is 

 rapidly increased by root-cuttings, this is a very 

 simple matter and may be carried on to an 

 almost unlimited extent. Any farmer who has 

 one of the fruit-bearing trees of medium size 

 can get sufficient young stock, by cutting up the 

 roots into short pieces, in the course of two 

 years, to plant all his roadsides. 



EVERGREEN HEDGES UNDER TREES. 



BY D O. MITNSON, FALLS CHURCH, VA. 



In a recent number of the Gardener's 

 Monthly, in reply to Dr. C. A. K., Chester, 

 Pennsylvania, in relation to planting evergreen 

 hedges in close proximity to maple trees, planted 

 twenty feet apart, you say you would not advise 

 it under any circumstances, as the roots of the 

 trees absorb the moisture the evergreens ought 

 to receive. 



About ten years ago I planted a Norway 

 spruce and American arborvitse hedge within 

 two feet of a row of maple trees that had been 

 planted ten years before— the maples are now 

 large trees. The hedges did finely — hardly lost 

 a plant, and they were never watered except by 

 rain. They are both very compact and in every 

 way doing well. 



Three years ago I planted thirty rods of hem- 

 lock hedge within four feet of a row of maples, 

 and that hedge is growing finely. 



A neighbor across the way, twelve years ago, 

 planted an American arborvitse hedge under 

 large cherry and maple trees — maple trees on 

 both sides of hedge — in many places very much 

 shading it. That hedge is now compact and 

 beautiful, none of the plants died, and no water 

 was used. 



There is also an American arborvitse hedge in 

 the neighborhood that was planted in a line with 

 a row of maples five years ago, and it has done 

 well so far. 



THE BEAUTY OF THE DANDELION. 



BY MARGID DIGRAM. 



The yellow of the dandelion flower is certainly 

 as fine a bit of color as can be found in the floral 

 world. This composite flower head is a disk, or 

 button, of clear gold, as bright and handsome as 

 a new ten dollar piece, but unlike the coin, it is 

 richness (and beauty, I would like to say), with- 

 out value, uncared for and unsought. 



It blooms upon every field throughout the 

 Spring and Fall months, but, excepting by chil- 



dren, it remains upon them untouched. Run- 

 ning on to ripeness the occasional breeze catches 

 the pappus-lightened seeds, and carrying them 

 upward and away, seems to say, " you are at last 

 appreciated. Though the recognition is late, we 

 have plucked you as early as we were able ; here- 

 tofore, not appearances, but weight, prevented." 



This plant might be potted in the Fall, then 

 placed in cold frames, or jiits, and whenever 

 wanted carried into the hothouse and forced in- 

 to bloom. This is a hint for the florist, and, acted 

 upon, will probably furnish him with a new plant 

 for mid-winter or late winter ornamental pur- 

 poses. That the treatment suggested would be 

 successful, I think there is but little doubt, as we 

 know that during the early months of the year, 

 and late again, quite into winter, a warm- 

 ish, sunny day, not uncommonly brings into 

 sight, in sheltered places, a number of nests of 

 these flowers. 



When the weather is cool, the scapes, or flow- 

 er stems, of the dandelion, are short; but in 

 warm weather, when the plant is in rapid growth, 

 it will be remembered that these stems shoot out 

 to agreater length and become quite long enough 

 for bouquet purposes. With hot-house forcing, 

 I think the same result would, or might, be real- 

 ized in January, February or March. 



Grown in very shallow pots, say two inches in 

 depth by four or four and a half in width, and 

 the same placed within some more attractive 

 earthen or metal vessel of equal shallowness, the 

 entire plant with a half-dozen blooms upon its 

 rosette of carefully grown and protected leaves, 

 would be a pretty object for the festive table. 



Who will give our humble and familiar friend 

 a cold weather trial ? It would be an easy task, 

 as the plant is always so near at hand. 



PROPAGATING HYDRANGEAS. 



BY JAMES C. CRAVEN, PHILADELPHIA. 



In the propagation of Hydrangea paniculata 

 my experience agrees with that of Mr. Abbott, 

 in your June number, although I never used the 

 branches of the plant for stakes. I have several 

 large plants, and frequently have found that 

 the branches touching njoist ground will root. 

 These I have cut in June and July, and in this 

 way I have all the young plants I could desire 

 for myself and friends. 



H. paniculata and H. otaksa have always 

 seemed to me extremely profitable plants to the 

 florist, being, in my judgment, so easy of propa- 



