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GARDESERS- CHROMCLE 



raised from the seed, in bloom, which, however, were 

 not as elYective and rich as in \'ienna. P. Sibirica passes 

 at times as P. Mttmc. also the genuine Japanese apricot. 

 It resembles our Armeniaca very much in foliage but has 

 rougher pits from which the flesh does not separate. 

 Grand too is the cherry almond, P. pcrskoidcs, whose 

 leaves remind one more of the almond P. communis while 

 the fruits resemble more those of the peach, P. persica. 

 A very good early almond which I was able to study for 

 years in Vienna is P. Fcndiana. disseminated in the 

 Caucasus and the Amato. It is lower and more spreading 

 than P. communis and endures right well in regions of 

 warm summers. The ripening of the wood and of the 

 blossom buds in the case of all these early bloomers is 

 very important. We must always call attention to the 

 splendid double forms of our peaches. Kinds like 

 dianthiflota and Clara Mayer have in their color, tones 

 which lighten intensely, a quite extraordinary effect in the 

 garden. 



The plums are no less deserving of special attention. 

 So above all are the American cherry plums like 

 P. amcricaiia, P. nigra, P. hortulana and its related forms. 

 A peculiar and very rich blooming type from China and 

 the Himalayas is P. saliciiia (P. iriflora). The cherry 

 plum, P. ccrasifera, also must always be thought of, 

 especially in the exceedingly decorative purple-leaved 

 form, var. Pissardi. to which are closely related the 

 forms Hcssci, PurpHsii and Blireana which in the deep 

 variable tones of the young foliage, combined with the 

 pink of the blossoms, mutually strive to surpass one 

 another. The last named is distinguished by its semi- 

 double blossoms, while they are slightly more filled out 

 in the form Moscri. Even with this the chapter of early 

 ilooming prunuses is far from being completed. 



The Apple {Mains) .\nd the Pe.\r [Pynis) 



The East Asiatic and North x\merican ornamental 

 apples are certainly not inferior to the Japanese cherries in 

 beauty of blossom. They particidarlv surpass them in 

 duration of bloom and besides, bestow upon us in the 

 Autumn a wealth of variably formed and variably colored 

 fruits, which often last throughout the Winter. Since 

 the blossoming of ajjples begins later than that of 

 cherries they do not so often suffer from late frost, in 

 reference to the charms of their habits the ornamental 

 apples make almost more of an appeal than do the 

 ornamental cherries. ( )n all these grounds they deserve 

 our respect in the highest degree and they should not be 

 lacking in anj' garden. 



One of the most beautiful ornamental api)les is ^1/. 

 Jjacciita, the area of which extends from eastern ,\sia 

 through China up to the Himalayas and accordingly 

 appears in various wild forms. It is known as the 

 Siberian ai)ple and its fruit is esteemed in making jelly. 

 In its form iiunidshiirica. M. baccata blooms as the first 

 of all ornamental ap])les and almost at the same time the 

 blossoms of a hybrid form open, long known in cultiva- 

 tion under the name of .1/. ccrasifera, which now must 

 take the new name M. robnsta. It rei)resents a cross 

 between baccata and prumfolia. M . Halliaiia Parkmanii 

 is the best known Chinese sort, the type of which, to be 

 sure, has not yet been found in a wild state in China. On 

 the other hand the variety rinki, known in our gardens 

 as M. 7?i)i,t,'o, has been met with in wild state in central 

 and western China. It has been cultivated by the 

 Chinese for centuries and is recognized as the most im- 

 portant apple of eastern .Xsia. In my opinion the most 

 beautiful Chinese ornamental a|)ple is un(|uestionably 

 M. Halliami in its dnuble form Parkiiiaiii. I have so 

 often admired its wonderful rose-red pendant blossoms 

 in the .Arnold .Vrboretum that I should like to see it 



again in every garden in our country. The double form 

 in Ja])anese gardens goes under the name Kaido. A very 

 noteworthy hybrid with baccata, which originated in 

 Germany, is J\l. Harlzi'igii. Striking is the newer 

 Chinese, M. tlicifcra, which owes its name to the fact that 

 Chinese country people make the so-called red tea from 

 its leaves. This sort in the bud state is rose-red. later 

 nearly white : its growth is s[}are and the bushes develop a 

 large number of thorn-like twigs which bear the flower 

 clusters. 



But China is rich in quite various types of apples. 

 There are. to mention only such as have already been 

 tried in cultivation in America and England, and in part 

 have been introduced into our own country, also, M. 

 haiisucnsis and M. transitnria. which belong to a group 

 of sorts that are related to the American M. fusca. 

 .\nother type I have myself observed wild in Yunnan: 

 .1/. yuiinaiicnsis. This sort reminds one in its foliage of 

 M. Tschonoslcii which came to us from Japan a rather 

 long time ago. It leads to a certain extent to an ever- 

 green type Docynia which is distributed in the Himalayas 

 and western China and whose magnificence <if bloom I 

 learned ti> know on my travels in Yunnan : it is distinct 

 from genuine maluses. These brief references may pass 

 for an indication of how rich is the Chinese plant world 

 in ])eculiar forms, deserving of cultivation. 



From Japan are to be mentioned for the smaller 

 gardens, M. Sargenti and M. Sicboldi var. calocarpa, as 

 M. Zuini also. M. Anwldimta. belonging in the form 

 cycle to .1/. floribunda is worthy of the same note. M. 

 iocnsis plena, the double form of the prairie apple, from 

 North .\merica. is unsurpassed. Its large, fragrant and 

 compact flowers remind one of small roses. \'ery deco- 

 rative is one from the Caucasus, related to our wild apple, 

 M. Niedzzixtzkyana, which on account of its magnificent 

 red colored foliage and blossoms truly deserve a better 

 name. Its large purple apples are also .striking, though 

 its habit imfortunately is very sparse and unlovely, so that 

 its decorative value is impaired. 



In spite of the fact that apples and pears are in every 

 way quite distinct they are often still classed under the 

 name Pyrus. Real pears, however, are very easily dis- 

 tinguished from apples in leaf, blossom, and fruit. They 

 are in general not as ornamental as the apple but they 

 also ix)ssess their charms in the bloonu'ng season. Even 

 the common wild pear, Pyrus coiinnunis. attracts our 

 gaze when blooming. From it for the most ]iart are 

 derived our cultivated forms, in the origin of which, how- 

 ever, the snow pear, P. nivalis, has had a part. This is 

 still fround occasionally wild in old country gardens. 

 Old trees of it have a very picturesque appearance and 

 with their large white blossoms are charming. The west 

 .•\siatic willow-leaved pear, P. salicifolia. like the olive- 

 leaved pear. P. ckragrifolia also from the Caucasus and 

 .southern Russia, is very charming in spite of its rather 

 small blossoms. From China and Japan we possess imw 

 a whole series which, as stocks and even on account of 

 their fruits, play a role. Even though the fruits of the 

 Chinese kinds by no means have the melting juiciness of 

 onr cultivated i>ears, but rather, in spite of their often 

 considerable size, are quite stony, one learns to ])rizc them 

 for their kee])ing qualities, for when stewed they make 

 an excellent preserve. {Continued in the September 

 number. ) 



The flowerin.g cherry is effective in landscajie conqwsi- 

 tions. Observe how profuse is the flowering of the tree, 

 illustrated on the front cover, in front of the little build- 

 ing and of the one at the rear. The cover illustration, 

 and the other illustrations nf ornamental flowering sinubs 

 are jiroduced, in connection with this artirlr. thidugli the 

 courtesv of .\. I".. Mnhlerl. 



