226 



GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



Ornamental Flowering Trees and Shrubs 



CAMILLO SCHNEIDER 



/;; Gartciischofiiliril. translated bv F. B. Meyer 



w 



1 1 !•: X the 

 1) 1 a c k t horn 

 awakens from 

 its \\'inter's rest we 

 know that the full- 

 ness of Spring has 

 iMine. Its branches. 

 so nionrnfully dark 

 'H Winter, froth axuv. 

 ,'s it were, in white 

 liillows of blossoms, 

 and at its feet in the 

 L'.rcen grass the vio- 

 lets exhale fragrance. 

 Sh(ntl\- thereafter, 

 like white ribbons, 

 the rows of cherry 

 trees band the sunny 

 landscape through 



which thrill the war- 

 lilings ol larks. In 

 the fruit g.-inkn. the 

 ap|iks are already 

 budding f(jr'ih rosy- 

 red and with the pear 

 trees thev close in 

 May the 'blossoming 

 period that had been 

 ushered in during 

 March by the peaches and apricots in bright pink, lui- 

 tire regions are famed for their fruit blossoms, in almost 

 all large fertile river valleys and especially in the grape- 

 cultivating regions on the Rhine and the Danube. In 

 every ]jlace, where the cultivation of fruit is at all pos- 

 sible, the landscape is enriched. 



I!ut all that they oft'er is greatly augmented and refined 

 by those peaches, plums, apples, pears and allied trees 

 which we raise only for the sake of ornament, without 

 thinking of their gifts of good tasting fruit. I'rom all 

 parts of the north temjierate zone have these ornamenial 

 small trees come to accentuate and pmlong the .Sjirijig 



Jiipaiii' 



dultblc 



Kofu'icu 



HolVflillg 



Zdkura. 



clierrv. 



in our gardens. Ja- 

 pan and China have 

 sent their ornamental 

 cherries, and North 

 America an abun- 

 dance of splendidly 

 flowering a p p 1 e s . 

 iM-oni eastern Asi;i 

 the most beautiful 

 apricots, cherries, and 

 pears have been ob- 

 tained. Ihit the Near 

 East, too, has given 

 us very hands: ime 

 pears and ajiples. 

 Their near relatives, 

 the crab apples, .Iro- 

 iiia, and the Rock- 

 sprays, Amclancliicr, 

 come for the most 

 part from the L'nited 

 States. They are all 

 counted among the 

 most beautiful small 

 trees and shrubs ol 

 Spring, which often 

 in Sunmier and Au- 

 tumn r e w a r d us 

 doubly fur the slight 

 pains of i>ur care 

 with their splendid 

 loads of fruit and 

 their foliage gay in 

 its coloring. The ar- 

 tistic plasticity of the 



petals, their sn.iall forms, the charming and rliythmic 

 confusion of the stamens with the anthers, wdiich 

 in life are colored now ])urple. now gold, and all 

 the niceties of the fruit capsules and styles, are generally 

 Mxcrlooked when we stand admiringly before the wealth 

 I if the trees' blossoms. 



Like the bee searching for nectar, our eyes must 

 follow friim bliissnm to blossom and gaze deep down 

 into e;icli uf these miracles. 



t'iii:Kkii;s, I 'i,i!.\is, .\\M) TH i:ii; 1\:;l\ii\i;s \ ryiiiius ) 

 When in the last days of November. 1914, I was ascend- 

 ing from the hot valle\- of the .Sihveen to I'aszhoehe 

 toward the Irrawaddi in the remote southwestern i)art of 

 C'liina, lint fidin the darkness uf the interwoven canopy of 



Japaiu-sc tloitblc Hoiwriiig pyra)iiidal 

 cherry, .linaiiogawa cakura: Irans- 

 liilcd, Hcavrn's River or Milky ll'tiw 



trees o 

 greetei 

 Sjiring 

 ertions 



irnnitive 



lie iinugbs of 



in ih s slrimge 



m\ ciinip.'iniiin 



/'. Miitiii Schcidi-Lkcri. jnnk , slinhlly jratirunl. The l>hiilii}:,nil'hs I'mdutrd lici 

 lire through the courtesy of A. E. IVohlerl. 



All) 



;ul)-lnipical forest there smilingly 

 pink, .-ninouncing the bursting of 

 w(irld. After long continued ex- 

 and I succeeded in bringing ilown 

 specimens ol tliese blossoms. It was 

 riiiiiiii I'/Tir.fo/V/iw, or I'udilum, an 

 ornament.d cherrv. which i> spread 

 tln'oughiiut the llim;d;i\an rt'gion and 

 as far a-; western I. hina. It meant an 

 experience to me. It recalled all the 

 vern.'d s]ilcnd(ir nl m\ n;iti\i' Imme — 

 how often 1 had enjuxrd it in the 

 time of cherrv blossnni> ;nul (in the 

 high bank of the llantibe ;il X'ii'nn.i oi 

 on the mountain road. 



