'i8g6. 



GARDENTNG. 



277 



AMERICAN HOLLY TREE AT MARIETTA, MD No 



pea-shaped flowers is coming info bloom. 

 Wistaria frutescens is in full bloom but it 

 is not nearly as showy as i,s its Asiatic 

 relative W. Sinensis. 



The Venetian sumac {Rhus Cotinus) is 

 in bloom, with its greenish panicles, and 

 Acer Ginnala. with greenish flowers, is 

 passing out of bloom; other shrubs with 

 similar inconspicuous flowers now in 

 bloom are some of the euonymuses such 

 as Americanus, Yeddoensis, angustifo- 

 lias, and verrucosus. The only barberry 

 in flower just now is B. stenopbylla, the 

 others are past. 



A few flowers still linger on Daphne 

 alpina, and a few may still be found on 

 D. Genkwa. Daphne Cneorum was very 

 showy this season, but it is past. The 

 common snowball has been conspicuous 

 for the pasf week; and the high bush 

 cranberry (Viburnum Opulis), and Vibur- 

 num pyrifolium are in good b'ooni. and 

 \ iliuinum Lentago •^■\\\he in flower in a 

 (l;iy iir two. Cornus stolonifera \s pass- 

 ing oiiL of bloom. [OUN Dl'NBAR. 



Highland Park, Rochester, N. Y., May 

 23, '9(5. 



flMERIGflN HOLLY TREES. 



I take pleasure in sending you pictures 

 of the holly trees at my country place, 

 "Marietta " Trees, and other objects, 

 have yet interfered with getting a point 

 of view showing the best shajie of the 

 liollies. You will notice No. 1 is rather 

 ill-shaped at the top and inclines to the 

 right. This is due to two limbs of a pecan 

 tree (forty feet aw ay) reaching out over 

 and beyond the holly. 1 cut these limbs 

 awhy several years ago. Also No. 2 has 

 been interfered with on the right or 

 north side by the nearness of a golden 

 willow, removed some vears since. The 

 height of holly No. 2 is 45 feet. No. 1 



measures— height 36 feet, G inches, cir- 

 cumference of trunk 18 inches, above 

 ground, 4 feet G inches, and spread 

 of limbs (three different measurements) 

 43, 43 and 45 feet. Both trees are 

 trimm d up high to clear the view to the 

 westward and give headroom on the 

 lawn. The branches appearing on either 

 side of the bare trunk of No. 1 do not be- 

 long to it but to a young black walnut 

 behind and some distance beyond it. No. 

 1, for some reason, is a heavier bearer of 

 berries than No. 2, and in winter is a 

 mass of coral-red and green, more equal- 

 ized in color towards the top because the 

 nearer the top the greater number of ber- 

 ries — always. 



I am led to take this occasion to sug- 

 gest your saying a good word for our 

 native black mulberry as a shade and or- 

 namental tree. A young one may be seen 

 to the right and rear of the holly in the 

 No. 2 picture. It is of quick growth and 

 dense shade, the color and size of its 

 leaves make handsome foliage, the bark 

 is clean and attractive and the tree, with 

 i-oom enough, shapes itself, or can be 

 readily shaped, to symmetrical and grace- 

 ful form. A desirable feature is that it 

 does not "draw" the land, and thus does 

 not affect the growth of grass beneath. 

 Though it is slow coming to full bearing 

 its fruit is not to be despised. Indeed, 

 when taken ripe from the tree, my taste 

 prefers it to any of the small fruits except 

 perhaps the strawberry. 



Maryland. Gabku;!, Dh Vai,. 



SOME LILACS. 



(Syringa.) 

 Out of a dozen sorts that 1 have culti- 

 vated for fifteen years there only two or 

 three that suit niv fancy, and at the head 

 of the list I place Rothoniagensis var. 



rubra, a distinct variety with small leaves, 

 bright reddish flowers, and panicles of 

 extraordinary large size and of great 

 abundance. It is the most free flowering 

 of all lilacs. My plant is over fifteen feet 

 high, and with its great abundance of 

 large bunches of flowers, which causes 

 the branches to droop gi-accfully, and the 

 bright color of the flowers makes the 

 plant very attracti>e. Were I confined 

 to only one variety it would certainly be 

 Kothomagensis. 



My next favorite is Nana, which is of a 

 <lwarfish growth, the plant only a tain- 

 ing about 8 feet in height. It is a very 

 distinct sort, with large compact trusses 

 made upof a numberof small spikes, with 

 large flowers of a dark reddish purp e 

 color, and is beautiful and attractive. 



Coerulea Superba has a large truss 

 made up of a large number of small 

 spikes, sometimes as many as a dozen; 

 the flowers are small and of a very deli- 

 cate appearance, needing a close examin- 

 ation to see its full beauty; it is described 

 as being of a clear blue color; but it looks 

 to me washy and unattractive in color. 



Prof. E. Stockhardt has large trusses 

 of lavender colored flowers, but it also 

 has a washy appearance Vulgaris Alba 

 and Alba Grandiflora have both been shy 

 bloomers with me. [This while th-y are 

 in a youngstate,ischaracteristic of them; 

 try Frau Dammann and Marie Legraye, 

 true; we have foundthat they bear earlier 

 in life and keep it up. — Ed.] 



Siberica Alba has small narrow leaves, 

 but it is a good grower and very free 

 flowering, flowers whitish with a purple 

 tint— a dirty white color. White Persian 

 is of dwarfish growth, flowers of same 

 color as Siberian. [That's right, such is 

 the plain truth.— Ed.] Lemoinei flore 

 pleno has large panicles of double or 

 semi-double flowers of a reddish purple 

 color, but not so bright in color as Rubella 

 fl. pi., which has large double flowers of a 

 clear violet red, much more bright and 

 attractive than Lemoinei. 



Josikjea is a distinct species, with dark 

 shining leaves, and purple flowers in June 

 after theother lilacs areout of bloom. It 

 is esteemed for its fine habit and foliage. 

 Marie Legraye has large panicles of 

 pure white flowers and is very beautiful. 

 [Undoubtedly the finest white lilac in ex- 

 istence, but because one has the label 

 doesn't mean he always has the plant 

 true to name.— Ed.] 



Virginalis has large compact panicles 

 of fine white flowers, very refined and deli- 

 cate. SouvenirdeLudwigSpath [The best 

 dark colored lilac we know. — Ed.] dark 

 purplish red flowers and Frau Dammann 

 with pure white flowers are doubtless the 

 two best new varieties. My plants are not 

 yet large enough to bloom and the same 

 may be said of Princess Alexandra, white; 

 Lamarck, rosy lilac; Villosa, a species from 

 [apan. Geo. S. Conover. 



Geneva, N. V., May 15, 1896. 



WISTflRlfl-JESSflMllSES AND CLBMflTIS- 

 OOLDEN-LEflVED POPLAR. 



1. "Are seedling wistarias worth sav- 

 ing? Ours are great seed bearers and we 

 have to root out the young plants We 

 have a light lavender variety that blooms 

 heavily in the spring, aj>ain in the fall, 

 but is never all summer without bloom. 

 We find we can make it bloom by turn- 

 ing on irrigation water and soaking the 

 ground for three or four days." 



2. "We find our jessamines and clem- 

 atis very impatient under irrigation, the 

 least excess of water causing the leaves 

 to fall and the plants to show every indi- 

 cation of distress." 



3. "Have you grown the golden-leaved 



