272 



HORTI CULTURE 



September 



are requested to send their names as soon as possible to 

 their booksellers or to. Messrs. Methuen. 



The edition will be that of 1597. As both Parkin- 

 son's and Gerarde's original works are of considerable 

 value and as these fac-simile reproductions are for all 

 practical purposes equally serviceable it seems that sub- 

 scribers liave a reasonable prospect of their copies being 

 not only useful but profitable investments. 



On the continent the art of producing handsome 

 books on gardening appears to be somewhat in its 

 infancy. Biit there are a few noteworthy exceptions. 

 It may possibly be useful to draw attention to a recently 

 published work not, however, exclusively, but primarily 

 intended for gardeners, florists and nurserymen. It is 

 published by the Librarie Horticole of Paris and is 

 entitled "Eepertoire de Couleurs." This is a work in 

 two volumes consisting of 365 plates in color. Each 

 color is shown in four distinct shades with the name in 

 French, German, English, Spanish and Italian. The 

 idea is to ensure uniformity of color description in 

 flowers, foliage and fruits. There is a volume of letter 

 press explanatory of the color plates and it is decidedly 

 a work unique in its character. 



Of works of minor importance there is of course an 

 ever flowing stream. The series of handbooks of practi- 

 cal gardening issued by John Lane has recently been 

 augmented by the publication of "The Book of the 

 Lily," by Wm. Goldring, and "The Book of the Scented 

 Garden," by F. W. Burbidge. To the bibliographer, 

 however, one of the most interesting publications is the 

 supplement to the Library Catalogue of the National 

 Horticultural Society of France, which came out a few 

 months^ago. 



Effects of the Winter on Conifers 



The winter of 1903-4 was unusually severe, but in 

 many ways not more so than that of 1904-5. Both were 

 severe; yet the effects of each upon vegetation were dif- 

 ferent, or at least apparently so, for no doubt the in- 

 jury done during the former winter left many plants, 

 "trees and shrubs especially, in a weakened condition. 

 Ehododendrons and deciduous trees suffered more last 

 winter, evergreens — meaning coni ferae — less. There 

 were contributing causes, no doubt. We went into 

 the winter of 1904-5 with a rain deficiency, — a most 

 serious condition; and it appears to many, though not 

 to the writer in every case, that this accounts for the 

 greater part of the injury done. Among those which 

 suffered severely were trees and shrubs which had lived 

 and flourished for a quarter of a century; and indige- 

 nous ones too. Even admitting rain deficiency to be 

 the cause of so much loss, why should it be more among 

 deciduous than among coniferous evergreens? (Be it re- 

 membered that my remarks refer to Wellesley only.) 



ConiferfB suffered more in the winter of 1903-4. Of 

 many Cedrus atlantica, which had existed for several 

 years, not one survived. Small plants of Torreya 

 nucifera were much injured, but larger plants, 

 6-8 ft., came through perfectly. It seems these 

 handsome shade-loving evergreens will do well 

 when established. Several firs were injured go 

 much that they made no growth. The buds were re- 

 newed, that was all, and we waited with doubt as to the 

 outcome of another severe winter. One gentleman of 

 large experience felt sure our large Abies Nordmanni- 



ana would die, but we had known young trees freshly 

 planted not to make any growth the first season and 

 grow well the next, so we had hope. So it happily 

 turned out. It could not be said that this injury came 

 from spring frosts for we could see well enough that the 

 tree-buds were injured before the time to make new 

 growth came. Among the most injured were Abies 

 Nordmanniana, A cephaloniea, and A cilicica. No 

 spruces suff'ered. 



The green form of the common English yew, Taxus 

 baccata, will not endure even an ordinary winter; 

 neither will T. b. adpressa. Strange to say, the golden 

 form — T. b. aurea, stands tolerably well. It suffered 

 somewhat, but is now filling out nicely. We have some 

 very large bushes of it. T. b. stricta stands tolerably 

 well too. The hardiest, and for this climate, much the 

 best yews are the Japanese T. cuspidata, and T. cus- 

 pidata var. brevifolia. The last named is a compact, 

 rather spreading grower, of a striking glossy, deep black 

 green. It is known generally in the trade as T. brevi- 

 folia, but this is wrong, for T. brevifolia is a western 

 species from the Pacific coast and scarcely hardy here. 



Several years ago some very fine specimens of Eetin- 

 ospora pisifera aurea were killed on the Italian garden, 

 and in other parts of the estate they suffered severely. 

 Since then they have stood perfectly and now are in the 

 very best condition. E. obtusa has proved the tenderest. 

 They, however, are much improved. Thuya gigantea, 

 which came through the winter of 1903-4 in good condi- 

 tion, suffered badly last winter. But this is not the first 

 time it has been injured. It sunburns easily in spring 

 time, and although we may grow large specimens, there 

 will be seasons when they will be disfigured. 



All the Colorado concolor firs (A. concolor) are in 

 splendid condition. The CaUforuian forms, known 

 originally as A. lasiocarpa and A. Parsonsiana, do not 

 look so happy. ■ They have made their regular growth 

 every season but for many years have looked thin. They 

 cannot be said to be short-lived trees, however, for we 

 have large specimens 50 feet high, but they lose their 

 lower brandies. The true A. lasiocarpa is an upland, 

 or mountain form, from Arizona. We have a fine speci- 

 men about fifteen feet high, which is in perfect health, 

 and promises to make a handsome tree. 



An interesting thing I associate with these severe 

 winters is the tendency to fruit abundantly this season 

 of all coniferous trees. Any interruption seems to in- 

 duce this. It is said that the last expiring effort of a 

 tree is to reproduce itself. I have seen the most misera- 

 ble looking black spruces in the swamps of Nova Scotia, 

 with only a bunch of branches on the top, completely 

 covered with cones. We moved two Colorado concolor 

 firs in winter of 1903-4, and though small trees, both 

 are bearing cones, while large trees, and much older 

 ones, have never borne fruit. One on an adjoining es- 

 tate, moved at the same time is also bearing cones, but 

 these are blue ones and I take it it is the variety of A. 

 c. violacea. All our other concolor firs, including the 

 varieties known as A. Parsonsiana and A. lasiocarpa 

 are bearing green cones; A. Nordmanniana and A. 

 cepholonica heavily. A. brachyphylla is fruiting for 

 tlie first time, and is bearing handsome purple cones, 

 with a rose-colored bar. A. Veitehii, also for the first 

 time, is covered, on the upper part, with deep blue 

 cylindrical cones, which make a striking picture in the 

 sunlight. 



