

Vol IV »2.00aYbar. 



24 Numbers. 



CHICAGO, MAY I, 1896, 



'i r ^• 









THUMBERG S BARBERRY IBERBBRIS THUKBERGII; IN MR. EGAN S GARDEN AT EGANDALE. 



Trees and Shrubs. 



BERBERIS TflUNBERGll. 



the year 1S83 the only barberry 

 our gardens was the Kuro- 

 pean species (B. vulgaris) and its purple 

 form. A few of the holly-leaved li. aqui- 

 lolium were grown under the name of 

 Mahonia. This is still rare in this sec- 

 tion, as the winter is rather severe on its 

 evergreen leaves, making it present a 

 sorry appearance until it gets its spring 

 suit on. Of late years Thunberg's bar- 

 berry has been introduced, and its popu- 

 larity at once became established. But 

 few old specimens are to be seen, so that 

 many of your western readers have yet to 

 see a matured plant. The one illustrated 

 was planted in 1891 at the base of a large 

 rock, and is now about three feet high 

 and six or more broad. It seems to have 

 an affection for the rock, in appreciation 

 of the moisture and coolness obtained 

 under its base, for it hugs it in a very ap- 

 preciative manner. In Gardenino I have 

 iierctofore spoken favorably of its many 

 virtues-its perfect hardiness, pendent, beli- 

 shaped flowers in spring and its brilliant 



coral berries in fall and winter— in fact at 

 this writing, April 22, last fall's berries 

 can still be seen among the fresh green 

 leaves. Its fall coloring is grand, and 

 this feature alone is enough to recommend 

 it. It is perhaps somewhat conducive to 

 profanity, when in spring it becomes nec- 

 essary for tidiness' sake to clean out the 

 gathered leaves that were blown in by 

 the winds, as its spines are quite sharp, 

 but as a pair of buckskin gloves is ample 

 protection this irreligious tendency is 

 easily overcome. The bushy tree to the 

 left is the Salix vitellina var. liritzensis. 

 Egandale. \V. C. Egan. 



[In the accompanying illustration Mr. 

 Egan gives us a glance at a comer of his 

 lawn. You see the lawn is unbroken. At 

 its outer edge we find the tall native trees, 

 also some other tall broad young trees 

 which the gardener himself planted there, 

 and fronting them in an easy graceful 

 way are individuals and groups to please 

 the eye and reheve the monotony of the 

 solid bank of branches and foliage. And 

 to the fore of some of these shrubbery 

 groups hardy perennials also find a place 

 in quantity and variet\',and they prolong 

 the beauty of the garden and form an 

 attractive and pleasing picture. 



The past winter here since New Year's 

 has been quite severe. The lowest tem- 

 perature recorded was 14 degrees below 

 zero on the 7th of January. Fortunately 

 there was a good coveringof snow pretty 

 evenly distributed over the ground. The 

 cold was continuous. We don't remember 

 ever before to have noticed Thunberg's 

 spira'a so much winter killed as it has 

 been the past winter, at least three- 

 fourths of the flower buds are dead. We 

 are sorrj' for this, as it is one of our pet 

 shrubs. Kerria Japonica has been killed 

 back a little more than usual. Fontane- 

 sia Fortune! and Fontanesia philfyriE- 

 oides are killed back a little on the tips; 

 the former was mulched heavily, and the 

 latter was boxed in. Berberisdulcis, and 

 the var. nana have come through the 

 winter in good form, they had inverted 

 boxes over them all winter. B. steno- 

 pliylla, B. Japonica and B. Neubertii all 

 look well. They all were protected; B. 

 Hakodate, B. Cretica and B. Asiatica 

 have come through alike to the tips with- 

 out any special protection. 



Forsythia viridissiwa has been killed 

 back severely, only a small portion of the 



