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THE GARDEXKKS' MiJMHLV 



[February, 



His comparison of an ancient thorn, drooping 

 like an old man with the weight of years, is an apt 

 one. And whoever has looked upon one, after the 

 manner of the poet, will readily recognize in the 

 imagery the bending form of a gray-haired sire, 

 and possibly tbe ideal of "John Anderson, my Jo, 

 John," whose "locks are like the snaw." 



It occurred to the writer when examining some 

 very old hawthorns while in England, in i88i,how 

 much several of them bore a resemblance to 

 Burns' figurative tree. 



It was on a blithe May morning, "when nature 

 painted all things gay," I quietly meandered along 

 a well-worn foot-path, by the side of hedgerows 

 flecked with pretty flowers, and Which in irregular 

 lines divided the green meadows, to a spot where 

 I had, when a little urchin attending school^ spent 

 many a happy hour. The same old hawthorns 1 

 had in boyish eagerness often climbed up to gather 

 the red ripe haws from, were still growing there, 

 and to all appearance as vigorous as they were 

 more than fifty years ago. The destructive fingers 

 of time seemed to have touched them gently, 

 and during the long interval which has elapsed 

 since I last saw them, their familiar features had 

 scarcely changed. And yet, while remaining the 

 same old trees I knew in days gone by, there was 

 undoubtedly an increase in the circumference of 

 their deep furrowed trunks, the largest of which 

 measured more than eight feet in girt. On this oc- 

 casion the heads of these venerable old thorns 

 were each beautifully covered with its annual 

 crown of white blossoms, so fragrant and fair. 

 And as I viewed their well-remembered forms, the 

 floodgates of memory seemed to open and pour 

 out the pent-up recollections of the many strange 

 mutations of the past. To secure a souvenir 

 seemed as natural as the suggestive language ot 

 Burns was to prompt my desire " to pu' its locks of 

 siller gray," which I devotedly did, to keep in re- 

 membrance. 



The verdant fields were prettily bespangled with 

 a variety of spring flowers, from which I brushed 

 the morning's dew, as I leisurely left the old haunts 

 of my youthful days. Continuing my pleasant 

 peregrinations, I soon reached Dunstall Park, to 

 view the handsome groups of the various species 

 of hawthorn for which it is famous. 



In this paper I shall omit mentioning the usual 

 variety of interesting large-sized old forest trees, 

 and splendid collections of ornamental low trees 

 and shrubs, or beautiful landscape effects usually 

 found in such like places, and confine my remarks 

 to the very comely kinds of Crataegus oxyacantha. 



or poet's hawthorn, which pleased me most of all. 

 And niethought, as I looked around, how gratified 

 must be the owner of such exquisite scenes, " where 

 every prospect pleases." 



Near by where 1 stood were several thrifty 

 handsome common English hawthorns, which 

 have been the subject of many a sentimental 

 theme by both ancient and modern writers, with 

 whom it always seems to have been a favorite. A 

 little distance off grew some excellent specimens of 

 C. o. alba plena, or double white thorns, and pure 

 and pretty indeed are its superb companions, C. o. 

 rubra plena, or double scarlet, with its single sister, 

 the well-known C. o. coccinea, or common scarlet 

 thorn, which is an old and much admired little 

 tree ; while another member of this interesting 

 family is C. o. rosea, whose rosy blush is not so 

 high colored as the two preceding kinds, and of 

 which the planter had made liberal use in the ex- 

 tensive park around. Another red variety of 

 striking appearance, known as C. o. rubra splen- 

 dens — well named, and of vigorous growth — made 

 pretty clusters here and there, w-hile near by the 

 margin of an ornamental lake, standing singly, 

 was a bush of the very distinct C. o. Douglasii. 

 Its peculiar though pleasing habit will always se- 

 cure it a place where only a few kinds are grown. 

 Its handsome foliage and great profusion of flow- 

 ers and fruit enhance its value. 



Among these most effective park or lawn orna- 

 ments, I noticed C. o. filicifolia, or fern-leaved 

 thorn, a very curious kind ; and C. o. variegata, 

 W'hich specially commends itself in either of its 

 three interesting phases of foliage, flowers and 

 fruit. C. o. rotundifolia, a round-leaved kind, 

 formed \ ery pretty objects, as did the more robust 

 C. o. grandiflora, with flowers grand enough for 

 either bridal wreaths or May coronal. C. o. tana- 

 cetifolia, the tansy-leaved kind, was one of the 

 many remarkable varieties around me. And form- 

 ing agreeable contrasts with their interesting com- 

 peers, was a fine specimen of C. o. platyphylla, 

 with its handsome broad leaves, and C. o. macro- 

 carpa, remarkable- for its large haws and excellent 

 habit. 



There were several other beautiful kinds inter- 

 spersed about and worthy of mention, but to avoid 

 being tedious to the patient reader, will refer to but 

 two others, C. o. stricta, which assumes a close, 

 upright form of growth, and its contrasting com- 

 panion, C. o. pendula, of drooping or pendulous 

 habit. There were many fine examples of Ameri- 

 can species, but having previously referred to and 

 described them in the November Monthly of 



