70 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[March, 



well praised in Europe as a bedding plant, and 

 from the looks of this specimen we think it well 

 deserves all the good things said of it in the old 

 world. 



Rosa polvantha. — The chapter on this rose 

 by our correspondent from Louisville, Mr. E. Hib- 

 bard, has been translated into French, and appears 

 in the January number of the Joiir7ial des Roses. 



Clearing Wkeds from Walks. ^Salt is sotne- 

 times applied to gravel walks and roads in a liquid 

 state, or in the form of strong brine used quite hot, 

 or as near the boiling point as possible. This is 

 said to be very eftectual in preventing the growth 

 of weeds. Sundry other solutions are also recom- 

 mended for the purpose. But I know of nothing 

 more effectual than a liberal dressing of dry salt, 

 sufficient to whiten the entire surface of the gravel. 

 A slight sprinkling is of little use, and may even 

 increase rather than diminish the evil which it is 

 intended to cure. In applying such a dressing as 

 has just been recommended, it is, of course, neces- 

 sary to exercise caution, in order to prevent the 

 salt coming in contact with the grass, box, or 

 other plants, which may form an edging to the 

 road or walk operated on. In my garden last year 

 some walks which were salted early m the season 

 have been free from weeds all summer. — Garden- 

 ing Illustrated. 



The Derby Arboretlm. — This beautiful plot 

 of eleven acres, given some forty years ago to the 

 city as a public park, by a citizen named Strutt, 

 and laid out in arboretum style by J. C. Loudon, 

 the distinguished landscape gardener of that 

 day, has recently been opened freely to the 

 public amidst the universal rejoicings of the 

 citizens of Derby. Mr. Strutt willed that the 

 ground should be given on condition that it should 

 be open free on Sundays, that the working people 

 of the w^eek might enjoy it on that day, and as 

 often in the week as the funds would permit. Only 

 now has the corporation been able to carry out 

 the wish of the founder, and make a free park 

 every day in the year. 



It may be noted as showing the greater wealth 

 of arborescent plants adapted to American garden- 

 ing over those in England, that though every effort 

 was made to put in the Derby arboretum every 

 ligneous plant that would thrive in Britain — two 

 plants of each kind — the number of species and 

 marked varieties was only 401 — 802 plants in all. 

 While at the American Centennial, 750 species and 

 marked varieties from the Germantown nurseries 

 were on exhibition, and 1,000 had been prepared 



ready to ship to Paris for that exposition, had not 

 the strict " letter of the law " been invoked by 

 Senator Krantz, the Director, who could not think 

 it proper to treat with an American citizen directly, 

 instead of through the government, for space 

 wherein to plant them. 



Rose Jean Ll\bai'D. — In correcting proof of 

 a correspondent's article, we were taken to task 

 for changing the n for a u. We now note from 

 the Jou}~nal des Roses that the name is as we 

 guessed — Liabaud, not Liaband. 



The Mist Tree. — This is commonly known by 

 this name, though sometimes as Green Fringe, 

 but in England the common name is Wig-tree. 

 Botanically it is Rhus cotinus. 



Cactus Hedges. — These are becoming popular 

 in Texas. 



Hedges of Conifer.e. — In America we have 

 learned that any kind of coniferous plant makes a 

 good evergreen hedge if trained in a coniferous 

 style. Hedges of Scotch pine, white pine, Nor- 

 way spruce, hemlock spruce, red cedar and arbor 

 vitae are not uncommon. There are, however, a 

 few of the rarer kinds not yet come into use 

 which would add much to the pleasure of our 

 present variety of these. The London Journal 

 of Horticulture says of the Californian arbor vitas : 



" There are few if any conifers that will form a 

 more beautiful hedge than Thuja gigantea, usually 

 sold under the name of T. Lobbi. It is hardy, 

 retains its bright green color throughout the winter, 

 and is close yet elegant in appearance. T. occi- 

 dentalis is cheaper and makes a good hedge, but in 

 light soils is apt to get thin at the base. We have 

 seen ornamental hedges of the Cedrus deodara, 

 Abies excelsa and Cupressus Xootka^nsis (often sold 

 as Thujopsis borealis), and good, compact fences 

 of Cupressus Lawsoniana ; but the firmest, closest 

 and most durable of conifer hedges are those of 

 the yew, but it is of somewhat slower growth than 

 most of the other trees named, and its dark color 

 may not suit your taste. In planting to form 

 hedges young trees should be inserted from one to 

 two feet apart according to their size, the ground 

 being trenched and manured to promote free 

 ■ growth." 



It mav, however, be remarked that here in Phil- 

 adelphia, Thuja gigantea is of a yellowish green in 

 winter, as well as the Thuja occidentalis, the 

 common arbor vita% though it is more shining 

 and vigorous than the common form. The Law- 

 son cypress, and Californian white cedar (Liboce- 

 drus decurrens), are the brightest green in winter 

 that we have. The yellow cedar (Cupressus 

 Xootkaensis), makes a dense hedge, but that has 

 a vellowish cast in the winter time. 



