February 26, 1910 



horticulture: 



293 



, Plant Novelties From China 



"Broad-leaved evergreens thrive badly in New Eng- 

 land," is the accepted phrase and unfortunately the 

 truth of it is only too plainly demonstrated by the fact 

 that the constituent members of the whole collection cul- 

 tivated can be counted on the fingers. It is not so much 

 the severe frosts as the strong sun in late February and 

 March that is so fatal to these plants. This strong sun 

 causes an excessive loss of water from the leaves when 

 the ground around the roots is firmly frozen. The roots 

 in consequence are unable to make good the loss and 

 death ensues from exhaustion. Broad-leaved evergreens 

 as a class affect moist woodlands when the surrounding 

 trees break the direct rays of the sun and prevent in a 

 marked degree excessive loss of water from the leaves. 

 If these evergreens were more generally planted in 

 thin mLxed woods and given a protection of pine 

 branches better success would probably attend their cul- 

 ture. No class of plants give greater pleasure in the 

 garden or park, being so restful to the eye in summer 

 and cheerful-looking in winter, and they are worth con- 

 siderable more attention and care than is at present 

 bestowed upon them. 



Among the recent Novelties from China are many 

 fine plants belonging to this class and though one hes- 

 itates to claim for them complete hardiness under the 

 peculiarly severe climatic conditions which obtain here 

 yet they are well worthy of an attempt at acclimatiza- 

 tion. Surely an odd one here and there will succeed 

 all right and if two or three can be added to our scant 

 list something really great will have been accomplished. 



Among the Chinese Barberries are many evergreen 

 species and two in particular are worthy of trial, name- 

 ly, B. Gagnepaini and B. verruculosa. The first-named 



Viburnum rhytii>ophyi,lum 



Ilex Pernyi 



.4is Cultivated by Messrs. Veitili. 



forms a dense busli, 4 to 6 fv. tall, with narrowly lanceo- 

 late, prickly leaves, ly^ to 8V2 inches long and about Y^ 

 inch broad; the flowers are bright-yellow home in 

 dense, racemose clusters and are followed by black 

 fruits. With its masses of "yellow flowers and fine foli- 

 age this is one of the handsomest of all Barberries. B. 

 verruculosa is a dwarf growing plant, 1 to 2 ft. high, 

 semi-prostrate in habit, with ovate, prickly leaves shin- 

 ing above, glaucous below and axillary, golden-yellow 

 flowers followed by violet-black fruits. For rockeries 

 and other positions suitable for dwarf shrubs B. ver- 

 ruculosa is eminently adapted. 



No class of evergreens are more generally appreciated 

 than the Hollies and it is much to be regretted that only 

 a couple of native species are hardy here. In Ilex 

 Pernyi ^^•e have a remarkably neat and chamiing spe- 

 cies, very dense and symmetrical in habit with dark 

 green, very prickly leaves, 1 to IV2 inches long, densely 

 crowded on the shoots and resembling in miniature those 

 of Ilex cornuta. The fruits are scarlet with very short 

 stalks and are crowded amongst the leaves. Ilex 

 Pernyi is native of thickets and woodlands in Central 

 and Western China above 4,000 ft. when it forms a sym- 



