II. 



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CHICAGO, JUNE 15, 1895. 



iANlHOCERAS SORBIFOLIA IN FAIRMOUNT PARK. PHILADELPHIA. 



Trees and Shrubs. 



XflNTflOCERflS SORBIFOLIA. 



This is a verj- beautiful Ijttlc tree from 

 Northern China, easy to cultivate, and so 

 floriferous that when it is in bloom one 

 can hardly see anything of it except blos- 

 soms. It was beautifullj- illustrated in 

 ("tARIiening May 15 last year, when a 

 handsome specimen 7 feet high in bloom, 

 and a spray of flowers and another of fruit 

 were shown. While the Dosoris speci- 

 mens are the most symmetrical and tree 

 liUe plants of the Uind that we know of, 

 they are not so large as the specimen now 

 shown in our cngravnig. Itisgrovvingin 

 Fairraount Park, Philadelphia, and is 

 about 10 feet high and as much in spread 

 of branches, and is by far the largest plant 

 of its kind we know of in cultivation. 

 Our illustration is engraved from a photo- 



graph taken a few weeks ago, and we are 

 indebted to the courtesy of Mr. A. Blanc 

 of Philadelphia for its use. 



So far as its beauty is concerned, it is 

 one of the first of small trees that we 

 would recommend to amateurs to plant, 

 but unfortunately it is often peculiar in its 

 behavior in gardens, taking the Japan- 

 ese die-back or some much the same 

 disease very badly in summer. 



While we personally have nothing to 

 complain about in this way, we are well 

 aware that most of the trees imported 

 into the country before the eighties are 

 dead. The tree is hardy enough, wefound 

 it perfectly so at Boston, and we believe 

 it likes good, friable, deep, rich soil that 

 is moderately moist, and an open but 

 sheltered place to grow in. 



The Ash leaved Yellow Thorn is the 

 English name we find given to this plant 

 in an article in a recent issue of the Gar- 

 deners' Chronicle. The same article gives 

 us instrue ion about the propagation of 

 the plant, which makes us smile. But 



that is a matter concerning the nursery- 

 man rather than the amateur. Even for 

 his benefit, however, we may say, sow 

 the seed in the fall when it ripens and not 

 in "April or May," and sow it in boxes 

 left out over winter in a cold frame, with 

 the protection of a mulching and a sash, 

 but not to exclude frost altogether. Cut- 

 tings of the thick fleshy roots taken in 

 early spring and set in light soil in a cold 

 frame and shaded and protected with a 

 sash will also root nicelj' and send up a 

 top. Top cuttings are too tedious and 

 uncertain. 



The Dosoris plants ripen considerable 

 seed every year, and they are the parents 

 of a good many plants throughout the 

 country. 



The Retinosporas got Killed.— W. J. 

 B., Plainfield, N. J., writes: "I lost nearly 

 all my retinosporas this winter, including 

 pluwosa aurea, pisifera aiirea, filiferu, 

 filit'cra aurea, squarrosa and obtiisa 



