December 28, 1918 



HORTICULTURE 



C35 



SOME GOOD SHRUBS. 



A correspondent asks the BuUetln 

 to name the twelve best shrubs of re- 

 cent introduction. The task Is not an 

 easy one, for two persons rarely agree 

 In their opinion of the merits of any 

 plant for any particular purpose. The 

 best shrubs in the sense which our 

 correspondent means are those which 

 will be hardy over a large part of 

 New England and the middle and 

 middle western states, that is in those 

 parts of eastern North America where 

 gardening is most practiced. This 

 means that Rhododendrons, Azaleaa 

 and other plants of the Heath Family 

 must be excluded from the list, for 

 plants of this family will not grow In 

 soil impregnated with lime. The se- 

 lection is more difficult now than it 

 would have been a year ago, for the 

 past winter has hurt some of the 

 shrubs which might have been includ- 

 ed in such a list but which have not 

 been able to support the excessive cold 

 to be expected occasionally in the 

 northeastern states. As they were un- 

 injured by the cold of last winter the 

 following twelve shrubs may at least 

 be considered hardy whether all our 

 readers approve or not of our selec- 

 tion. In our opinion four of the Coton- 

 easters of western China must be In- 

 cluded in any list of the twelve best 

 shrubs of recent introduction; they 

 are C. hupehensis, C. multiflora var. 

 calocarpa, C. racemiflora var. soon- 

 gorica, and C. nitens. C. hupehensis 

 1b a broad, tall and shapely shrub with 

 bright green leaves and white flowers 

 which make the plant as conspicuous 

 as any Spiraea. The flowers are fol- 

 lowed by small scarlet fruits which 

 are a good deal hidden by the leaves. 

 C. multiflora var. calocarpa is a large 

 shrub with slender, gracefully arching 

 stems, and blue-green leaves. The 

 flowers are borne in erect clusters on 

 short lateral branchlets which rise 

 above the arching stems, and few 

 shrubs are more graceful in habit or 

 more charming In the arrangement of 

 their flowers; the fruit Is scarlet and 

 about a quarter of an inch in diameter. 

 C. racemiflora var. soongorica Is also 

 a large and vigorous shrub with arch- 

 ing stems. The flowers are white and 

 a little larger than those of G. hupe- 

 hensis; the leaves are dull blue-green 

 in color, and the fruit is large and 

 Bhowy. Many persons consider this 

 the handsomest of the Chinese Coton- 

 easters. C. nitens Is also a large 

 broad shrub; the leaves are dark 

 green and very lustrous; the flowers 

 are red, and the fruit is black. Of 

 these four Cotoneasters the last has 

 the handsomest foliage but the small- 

 est flowers and fruit. 



K 



Be iiidependout. grow your own ROSE STOCKS for butldtit>; or grafting. Those 

 using KOSA MULTIFLORA JAPO.NICA STOCK prefer it to Mancttl. We otter for 



iniiii-iiMt.' .l.-Iivr-ry Nmv Croii unlnillpcl S 1 ;it, $-4.50 per lli. 



9B Chambers Street 

 New York. N. Y. 



McHUTGHISON & COMPANY, 



Two Roses can properly find a place 

 in this list of twelve shrubs, the 

 Chinese Rosa Bugonis and the Korean 

 R. Jackii. The former has pale yellow 

 flowers and has often been described 

 in these Bulletins; it is one of the 

 handsomest of all single-flowering 

 Roses and one of the most important 

 introductions of recent years. Rosa 

 Jackii bears clusters of white flowers 

 like those of R. multiflora, but the 

 flowers are nearly twice as large and 

 open two or three weeks later. This 

 Is one of the last of the Roses to 

 flower here. 



Two Lilacs recently described in 

 these Bulletins, can be included In the 

 list, Byringa Sweginzoicii from north- 

 ern China and S. reflexa from western 

 China. Diervilla fiorida var. venusta. 

 Introduced a few years ago from 

 Korea, is perfectly hardy and the 

 handsomest of all the species, varie- 

 ties and hybrids of Diervilla in the 

 large Arboretum collection. It can 

 fairly be considered one of the best 

 shrubs Introduced Into this country 

 by the Arboretum In recent years. 

 Prinsepia sinensis from northern 

 China properly finds a place in this 

 list. It is perfectly hardy; the leaves 

 unfold earlier in the spring than those 

 of any other shrub in the Arboretum 

 and are soon followed every year by 

 innumerable yellow flowers. The hard- 

 iness, rapid growth, sturdiness and 

 the abundant spines on the stems 

 should make this a good hedge plant. 



Of the numerous species of the 

 genus Corylopsis cultivated in the 

 Arboretum only the Japanese C. 

 Ootoana escaped serious injury last 

 winter. Like all the species of this 

 genus. It bears drooping clusters of 

 yellow flowers which appear before the 

 leaves, which resemble those of the 

 Witch Hazel to which Corylopsis is re- 

 lated. This beautiful shrub has flow- 

 ered here now for several years and 

 has shown itself worthy of a place 

 among the best plants of recent intro- 

 duction. 



The list can be completed with 

 Aescvlus georgiana and Spiraea 

 Veitchii. The former Is a dwarf Buck- 

 eye from central Georgia, with com- 

 pact clusters of large red and yellow 

 flowers. This shrub was introduced 

 Into gardens by the Arboretum and 

 has now flowered here for several 

 years. As it was not injured by the 



cold of last winter It can probably be 

 considered hardy in Massachusetts. 

 Spiraea Veitchii is one of the plants 

 discovered by Wilson In western 

 China. It Is a large shrub sometimes 

 ten or twelve feet high, with grace- 

 fully arching stems above which the 

 wide clusters of white flowers stand at 

 the ends of short lateral branchlets. 

 It Is one of the latest of the white- 

 flowered Spiraeas to bloom and Is now 

 In flower in the Arboretum where It 

 has proved entirely hardy. 



The fruits of Acer tataricum are al- 

 ready bright red and make this little 

 tree a conspicuous and attractive 

 object. The bright blue fruits of 

 Lonicera coerulea and Its numerous 

 geographical varieties, and the scarlet, 

 red and yellow fruits of the Tartarian 

 Honeysuckle and Its varieties and hy- 

 brids are now ripe. And from now un- 

 til March persons Interested In the 

 handsome fruits of trees and shrubs 

 can find them in great variety in the 

 Arboretum. — Arnold Arhoretum Bulle- 

 tin. 



TREES, SHRUBS, VINES and 

 HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS 



By JOHN KIBKEOAABD 



Formerly Assistant to Director of tbe Bo7» 

 Botanical Gardens, Copenba^n, Denmark. 

 Latterly Twenty Yeara In American For- 

 estry and Botanical Work. 



Assisted by DB. H. T. FEBNAIiD, 



Professor of Entomology Hassachnsetta 

 Agrlcaltnral College and Entomologlat, 

 Massacbuaetts Agrlcnltaral Experiment 

 Station, 



and PBOF. B. A. WHITS, 



Professor of Florlcnlture, New York State 

 College of AgrlcDltnre at Cornell Univer- 

 sity. 



A Great Book A Beaatifal Boot 



A GompreheDsive Boot 



A Practical Book By Practical Men 



There Is No Other Book Like It 



New Edition 



BEACTHTTLXT BOtTND IN CI.OTH 



Price only $2.50 net. Mailinf} 



Price, K2.71. Money-Back 



Gaarantee 



Order it from HORTICULTURE 



147 Summer St, Boeton 



