October 16, 1909 



HORTICULTURE 



537 



Notes from the Arnold Arboretum 



Many new Clematises have been introduced recently 

 from Cliiua wliere tlie genus seems to be very well rep- 

 resented; two of them. Clematis nutans and C. orientalis 

 are now in full bloom and must be considered, particu- 

 larly on account of their late flowering time, desirable 

 additions to our ornamental vines. Clematis nutans 

 resembles in its foliage mucli our native C. virginiana, 

 but the flowers are entirely different. It is apparently 

 a high climbing shrub of vigorous growth. The bright 

 green long-stalked leaves are pinnately divided with slen- 

 der stalked leaflets from one and a half to three inches 

 in length, ovate in outline, deeply and incisely toothed 

 and sparingly hairy on both sides. The flowers are dis- 

 posed in many-flowered short panicles borne high above 

 the foliage on slender upriglit stalks up to six inches 

 long; the individual flowers are nodding, yellowish 

 white, but little over one-half inch long and resemble in 

 shape those of the hyacinth. The cluster of nodding 

 flowers borne on slender stalks high above the foliage 

 give this Clematis a very distinct appearance unlike any 

 other species. 



The second species is Clematis orientalis, or more cor- 

 rectly a new variety of this very variable species. The 

 sliglitly bluish green leaves are also pinnate, but the 

 leaflets are smaller than those of the preceding species 

 and generally three-parted, otherwise nearly entire. The 

 yellow nodding flowers appear in axillary clusters indi- 

 vidually on slender stalks from two to four inches long 

 and are about three-quarters of an inch long; they are 

 followed like those of the preceding species by showy 

 heads of long-tailed feathery fruits. The flowers, 

 though not as large as those of C tangutica described in 

 an earlier issue, are very conspicuous on account of their 

 yellow color. Two more species of Clematis are com- 

 ing now into bloom and will be described in the next 

 issue. 



Besides Elsholtzia Stauntoni from North China men- 

 tioned in an earlier issue there has been recently intro- 

 duced from Central China a second species, E. poly- 

 stachya, forming a roundish bush from four to six feet 

 high similar in foliage to the preceding, but with white 

 flowers. The short-stalked lanceolate leaves are from 

 four to six inches long, distinctly toothed, long-pointed 

 and hairy and grayish green on the under surface. The 

 small white flowers are disposed in slender spikes from 

 three to seven inches long and produced in great pro- 

 fusion at the end of the branches. The appearance of 

 the roundish bush studded all over with the white flower 

 spikes is quite striking, though not as showy as E. 

 Stauntoni. 



A handsome new red-fruited Cotoneaster from Cen- 

 tral China is C. Dielsiana (C. applanata) . It is a de- 

 ciduous upright shrub with slender horizontally spread- 

 ing and arching branches thickly studded in autumn 

 with scarlet fruits. The short-stalked leaves are gen- 

 erally ovate in outline, about one inch long, dull green 

 on the upper and grayish tomentose on the lower surface. 

 The pinkish flowers appear in few-flowered clusters and 

 are rather insignificant. 



Another handsome species is Cotoneaster humifusa, a 

 creeping shrub with evergreen foliage. The short- 

 stalked glabrous leaves are oval in outline, about one- 

 lialf inch long, dark green and glossy on the upper and 

 whitish on the lower surface. The solitary white flow- 

 ers measure nearly one-half inch in diameter and are 

 followed in autumn by bright red fruits. The shrub 

 with its long creeping and rooting branches is well 

 suited for rockeries and rocky banks. 



Three Good Garden Roses 



After two seasons' trial under conditions of weather 



distinctly unfavorable, Ehea Eeid has proved to be the 



best of all crimson roses for garden planting. A sturdy 



vigorous grower, hardy in the vicinity of Boston and 



probably equally so in places much farther north, it fills 



a place hitherto vacant. The flowers as grown outdoors 



are dazzlingly brilliant, with size and form equal to the 



best H. P. varieties and, blooming freely on the young 



wood, all one has to do is to keep it growing to get 

 flowers in succession all summer and fall. 



Another rose which cannot be too highly spoken of 

 in the same respect is Wellesley. This is perhaps the 

 freest bloomer of all the H. T.'s, being several days 

 quicker than even that well proven favorite, Killarney, 

 in producing its second crop after the June flowering. 

 The growths are tall and stout and the flowers are pro- 

 duced in abundance. It also is perfectly hardy in Bos- 

 ton and no garden should be without it. 



A writer in some horticultural paper which we read 

 recently referred to the Burbank rose as being of in- 

 ferior character and practically identical in color with 

 the old Heimosa. This was certainly a mistake, as 

 Burbanlv bears a larger flower with petals loosely rolled 

 back and has foliage not at all like Hermosa.^ Moreover, 

 the flowers are almost cherry red, whereas Hermosa is 

 delicate pink and with cupped petals. While the in- 

 dividual flower is not to be compared with even the 

 poorest of the garden H. P. varieties, yet the effect in 

 mass of the Burbank rose is superlatively good, and its 

 hardiness and unexcelled freedom of bloom place it 

 among the indispensables. Its proper place in the 

 rose garden will be quickly found by the observant 

 planter. 



