i8g6. 



GARDENING. 



295 



native shrub is just passing out of bloom 

 and we wonder why it is not grown 

 more. Rhododendron Vaseyi, the earliest 

 and most Ijeautiful ot the sliowj' azaleas, 

 still holds its own. It is the most beau- 

 t'ul of the hardy azaleas. A", mirabile 

 f;randlfIorum, anothershowy pink azalea, 

 and A', niiditlonirn, are just coming into 

 bloom. R.Pontkum, K. /Javum, and the 

 C.hent hybrids in variety are making a 

 brilliant show. 



Kohinia hispida is the earliest of this 

 dass and it is now covered with deep 

 pink pea flowers. Its lasting (|ualities 

 and its habit of blooming later in the sea- 

 son makes it a very desirable shrub. 



Coronilla Emerus is literally covered 

 with its 2—3 flowered clusters of deep 

 yellow pea flowers. 



Cytisus purpureas from the Alps is as 

 good as usual and covered with pretty 

 pea-shaped flowers. C. incarnatus is a 

 decided gem and loaded with large deli- 

 catepink blooms. C..4ustr/,-ic(/s is bloom- 

 ing sparingly, it having been winter 

 killed. The same is true this year of C. 

 alhus prwcox and C. scoparius. Genista 

 r;erman;ca is just golden at present and 

 it is exceptionally hardy, too, and makes 

 a plant to force for winter flowers. 



Staphyka Colchica got winter killed 

 very badly this season, plants 8—9 feet 

 high being killed almost to the ground. 

 S. pinnata and S. trifoliata are in good 

 bloom but the flowers are rather insig- 

 nificant compared with those of S. Col- 

 chica. 



The enonymuses in great variety are in 

 bloom, but it is better to note them indi- 

 vidually when they are in fruit in the fall. 

 Ceanoihus ovatus is just coming into 

 bloom and is a very desirable low-grow- 

 ing shrub. Khamnus Frangula var. pleni- 

 folia is very attractive with its dark green 

 linear leaves and small greenish-white 

 flowers. The strawberrv' bush, Calcycan- 

 thus Ixvigatus is just coming into bloom 

 and is always welcome on account of its 

 pleasant odor. Calycanthus iforidus is 

 now called Zuettneria Florida. 



Iberis Tenoriana and /. corifolia, hardy 

 candytufts, are one mass of white flow- 

 ers, and growing alongside of them is 

 A^thionema coriditolium with its pink 

 flowers making a good companion to the 

 candytufts. Tamarix Africana is laden 

 with its pink flowers and is the admira- 

 tion of every one. Pxonia Moutan, the 

 tree pjeony, is always very showy and 

 stands our severe winters extremely well. 

 Especially noticeable among barberry 

 bushes are i?. Thunbergii, jvst passing out 

 of bloom and B. vulgaris and its varieties 

 purpurea, cretica, Sieboldi and B. cana- 

 densis. B. Aquifolium had its flower 

 I)uds all winter killed. B. stenophylla, a 

 splendid little species, is about 2 feet high 

 with linear like foliage, and it is covered 

 with small clusters of deep orange yellow 

 flowers. 



Among the caraganas are C. arhores- 

 cens and its numerous varieties such as 

 Ahagama, pygmasa and spinosa, all of 

 which are very attractive leguminous 

 shrubs. 



The chief attraction here at present is 

 the lilacs, Syringa vulgaris and its varie- 

 ties, of which we have 125 named sorts; 

 as I mentioned them quite carefully in 

 Gardening in previous years, I will not 

 now go over the list again, there is but 

 little to add. The loniceras or bush 

 honeysuckles have never been finer than 

 they now are, some of the specimens being 

 .S— lOfeet high, and as much through and 

 literally covered with flowers. Of the 

 Tartarica type such varieties as nana, 

 rosea, alba, gracilis, pulcherrima and 

 alba splendens arc most noticeable, f,, 



Morrow// has more of a spreading habit 

 and does not grow as tall as the Tartarian 

 type, it produces innumerable white flow- 

 ers. It is used very extensively through- 

 out the park system of Boston with good 

 eflfect. h. Ruprechtiana is a very strong 

 grower with beautiful white flowers. L. 

 chrysnntha resembles the Tartarian tyjie 

 as does also L. bella and its numerous 

 varieties. L. Albertii is a gem, low 

 growing in habit and almost running on 

 the ground; the leaves are linear and the 

 flowers are of medium size and a deep 

 rosy pink color. L Alpigena is quite 

 distinct, flowers borne rather scantily in 

 pairs and are a sort of a deep maroon in 

 color. Among the other loniceras that 

 may be noted are L. Orientalis, L. parvi- 

 foli'a, L. tninutidora, L. Ibirica and L. 

 dioica. 



Andromeda iloribunda is just passing 

 out of bloom. It is the hardiest of all the 

 andromedas and always makes a good 

 show. Kalmia glauca for some reason 

 was quite late this season. It is in good 

 bloom just now. The same can be said 

 of Daphne Cneorum. 



Leucothoe Catesbaei is blooming ex- 

 tremely well this season, its drooping 

 racemes of white flowers being quite at- 

 tractive. We forced a lot of it last win- 

 ter and found it quite desir ible. Ledum 

 palustre and its variety dilatatum are 

 useful little shrubs belonging to the heath 

 family and they are covered with heads 

 of white flowers. Leiophyllum buxifo- 

 Hum is another pretty shrub of the heath 

 family. The silver bell tree, Mohroden- 

 dron Carolinianum (Halesia) is always 

 worthy of mention and is now in good 

 bloom. C.Jackson Dawson. 



STREET TREES FOR SOUTHERN CflLIPORNlfl. 



I have been a subscriber for Gardenini-, 

 ever since its first issue, and a case has 

 arisen in this city upon which I should 

 hke to ask your advice. In the residence 

 portion of the eity there has lately been 

 opened a street which bids fair to be 

 lined with very handsome residences. It 

 is, in fact, almost built up at present. 

 The owners are people of taste and re- 

 finement, and have been in consultation 

 with each other forsome time as to what 

 would be a good tree to select for a street 

 tree. The matter has not 3'et been de- 

 termined, and I have recjuested them to 

 wait until I could send this letter to you 

 and get your opinion. You are probably 

 more or less familiar with the flora of 

 Southern California. You know that the 

 grevillea grows here to be a tree, attain- 

 ing a height of forty to sixty feet; that 

 the pepper (Schinus Molle) has been for 

 many years used here as a street tree and 

 for ornamentation in different ways. 

 You are also aware that the eucalypti of 

 all varieties flourish here most readily, 

 and that all the hardy palms— the phoenix, 

 and all except really the kentias, etc.— 

 likewise attain luxuriant proportions. 



Individually, my objection to the 

 grevillea is that it becomes ragged and 

 shaggy when it gets old, and is exceed- 

 ingly liable to be broken by any unusual 

 gust of wind. The pepper tree drops a 

 great many leaves, and has a tendency to 

 become pendulate. The palms spread in 

 their early growth over such an expanse 

 of territorv as to interfere with passers- 

 by upon the sidewalk, compelling them 

 to be trimmed up into trunks, deteriora- 

 ting from their beauty. Neither does the 

 eucalyptus attain any symmetrical shape. 

 There are some Acacia Melanoxylon 

 planted, and this seems to be about as 

 symmetrical a street tree as any. 



But I renicmberhavingread in Garden- 

 ing sometime ago an article upon a pin 



oak, which at the time attracted my at- 

 tention. It seemed to me at that time 

 that it would make a very superior street 

 tree, and would have the merit of being 

 novel here. The magnolia, the camphor 

 and the Ficus elastica have been planted 

 here, but the magnolia cannot be trimmed 

 to a good shape without deteriorating 

 from its beauty, and the last named tree 

 has such large surface roots th it it pries 

 up the cement sidewalks. If you will be 

 kind enough to answer this inquiry you 

 might name some of the deciduous forest 

 trees that would be appropriate, but you 

 will understand that the elm and the 

 maple do not grow well here. It seems 

 that the mildness of our winter climate 

 and general lack of humidity afleets 

 them. They never have the glowing 

 autumn colors and they always put forth 

 their leaves very late in the spring. 



As usual, the parties who are seeking 

 an appropriate tree desire one that has 

 all the good qualifications and no bad, 

 but. like many otherthings in this world, 

 this cannot be attained in an3' one single 

 object. Rapidity of growth, however, is 

 one item that they desire to have con- 

 sidered. H. W. O'M. 



Ans. What a splendid climate you 

 have got out there. No, don't plant the 

 pin oak; while it is an excellent tree for 

 the eastern and northern states, we do 

 not believe it is an appropriate tree for 

 Southern California. Write to Mr. John 

 McClaren, Superintendent Golden Gate 

 Park, San Francisco, for his advice in the 

 matter. He knows trees well, and knows 

 your part of the country and what will 

 thrive in it; hecangiveyou expert advice. 



SYRINOfl VIlLOSfl. 



This handsome lilac from the northern 

 part of China has been in cultivation 

 since 1880, but it is not as freely dis- 

 tributed as it deserves to be. It has 

 many good qualities to recommend it. 

 It is' now (June 2) but little past its 

 prime in bloom, being nearly a month 

 later than the common lilac. Its pani- 

 cles are numerous, of good size and sub- 

 stance, and of a color approaching a 

 shell-pink, while the perfume in the air 

 surrounding the bush when it is in bloom 

 is pleasing, a closer inhalation to me is 

 not. EUwanger & Barry have fittingly 

 described its foliage by comparing it to 

 that of the white fringe, and being a 

 very pleasing shade of green. I dislike 

 using the common lilacs in the shrubbery 

 border or in conspicuous parts of any 

 grounds on account of their liability to 

 mildew late in thesummer, at which time 

 they present a sorry appearance, in fact 

 I grow them mainly for cutting and give 

 them quarters in the back yard. Syringa 

 villosa, however, retains its lively green 

 leafage untarnished all through the 

 season, and is therefore available for any 

 position. It grows fully six feet high, as 

 many broad, and carries its blooms well 

 above the foliage. It has for a com- 

 panion now in bloom Ladyjosika's lilac 

 (Syringa Josikxa) from Transylvania, 

 which is equally as fine in foliage, but not 

 in its flowers, the panicles being smaller 

 and of a purplish hue. The tree lilac 

 (Syringa faponica) is only now forming 

 its immense panicles of creamy white 

 scentless flowers, but a well formed tree 

 in bloom is a sight well worth waiting 

 for, as I have done fully five years from 

 planting. 



\Syringa villosa is easily raised from 

 seed, and as it is a true species the flowers 

 of seedlings are as good as those of 

 grafted plants; besides seedlings root 

 better and grow better. The seedlings 



