.July 5, 1919 



HORTICULTURE 



intermingling of the pyramidal, pen- 

 dulous, globe and prostrated forms, as 

 well as the glaucous, bronze, golden 

 fully studied before hand; for this 

 reason experienced nurserymen and 

 landscapes make it a point to keep 

 on hand cross-section sketches of pre- 

 vious successful plantings, 

 line and general effect should be care- 

 and variegated varieties. All must be 

 judiciously balanced with the much 

 greater number of green tints. 



"The smaller city or suburban home 

 grounds may be ornamented in the 

 same manner on a smaller scale by 

 using the many kinds of dwarf and 

 other coniferous shrubs and plants. 

 It is always of interest to the nurseries 

 to note the evergreens that thrive 

 best In city yards under certain condi- 

 tions such as soil and climate. Buxus 

 sempervirens used in bordering beds 

 is quite hardy when thoroughly estab- 

 lished, but it must be protected from 

 wind and sun for two winter seasons 

 after planting. Evergreen Privets 

 Ligustrum lucidum and L. japonicum 

 thrive well under similar conditions, 

 these two, however, are not as hardy 

 as the Box and Euonymus. The Am. 

 Holly (Ilex opaca) is the only true 

 and reliable holly. When transplant- 

 ing these they should be severly 

 pruned, this is generally overlooked. 



Rhododendron beds bordered with 

 Pieris alba floribunda, known also as 

 Andromeda floribunda, should be used 

 and grown more extensively. This is 

 a valuable plant for bordering pur- 

 poses. Another variety is the P. 

 japonica. 



The hardy dwarf Azaleas with their 

 deep green foliage and bright flowers, 

 the Kalmias and others are good bor- 

 der plants for rhododendron and small 

 evergreen beds. 



The planting for wind breaks should 

 be advocated more than it is, in colo- 

 nial times it received more attention 

 than it does now. Picea alba, P. ex- 

 celsa, Norway Spruce, Hemlock should 

 be used more for this purpose, even 

 Cypres, Cedars and Siberian Arbor 

 Vitaes lend themselves for wind 

 breaks, screens and hedges. 



The planting of window and bal- 

 cony boxes containing small conifer- 

 ous plants should become more gen- 

 eral. There has been, however, some 

 complaint on the part of some, that 

 many plants would have to be re- 

 placed several times a season to keep 

 them looking presentable; then again 

 the expense of too frequent re-planting 

 at hotels and private homes has caused 

 many to discard them altogether. 



This should not be; the remedy is 

 readily found in the proper selection. 

 Small boxes containing dwarf coni- 



fers and hardy ivys could be designed 

 so as to enable the owner to remove 

 them from the open to indoors; on the 

 order of the Japanese style, thousands 

 such boxes can be sold by enterprising 

 firms, it will help to popularize conif- 

 erous plants. 



Every nursery should have show 

 grounds conveniently located near the 

 main entrance exhibiting the different 

 varieties of evergreens that are cata- 

 logued and grown in the nursery. No 

 attempt need be made to show land- 

 scape effect, as straight rows contain- 

 ing good specimens are suflicient for 

 convenient inspection by the customer. 

 However larger nurseries with plenty 

 of space may show samples of groups, 

 beds on extensive irregular borders 

 with sufficient lawn space to make a 

 most attractive exhibit which will 

 show off the specimens to better ad- 

 vantage, giving the customer an idea 

 of how his borders will look when 

 planted, group plantings for park and 

 cemetery entrances, the screening of 

 unsightly and objectionable places, the 

 treatment of both small and extensive 

 lawns showing at all times an open 

 lawn effect. In this manner knowledge 

 in tasty landscape gardening may be 

 readily imparted to the prospective 

 purchaser. Conspicuous labels with 

 both common and botanical names will 

 help familiarize the worker on the 

 place as well as others with whom 

 the nurseryman has to deal besides it 

 will save much valuable time in going 

 around making selections. 



To make farmsteads more attractive 

 is another feature that is receiving 

 more attention. The busy farmer of 

 course does not care for a formal gar- 

 den and trimmed hedges, but he wants 

 a plain and sensible ornamentation 

 consisting of some larger growing 

 trees and evergreens for shade and 

 wind break, he may plant hedges as 

 do not require any trimming, such as 

 hemlock, Siberian and American Ar- 

 bor Vitaes, Japan Barberry,, Spi- 

 rea Van Houtti, Mock Orange, Tarta- 

 rian Honeysuckle, Rosa Rugosa, etc. 

 Lilacs for hedges are also desirable, 

 provided they are sprayed against the 

 ever re-curring scale that affects this 

 plant. 



The temporary winter decoration 

 and protection with evergreen 

 branches and trees in the public 

 square parks has been attempted by a 

 few cities with great success. The 

 public traversing such places by the 

 thousands each day approves of it. 



In such sections where there is plen- 

 ty of such material close at hand, the 

 eliminated and the beauty of a city 

 square or park enhanced. Hemlock, 



Pines, Mountain Laurel and Norway 

 Spruce may be used to cover bare 

 spots of ground, also flower beds and 

 borders. This may be a profitable 

 thing to do in November when we are 

 not otherwise busy. 



The question of proper soil for ever- 

 greens may thus be answered: I find 

 that a soil of good physical texture, 

 which means a soft pliable and rea- 

 sonably loose soil in which the roots 

 may readily forage and which contains 

 sufficient organic matter or humus is 

 best. In preparing a border for a 

 group or for lining out a block of 

 evergreens, it is essential to plow or 

 spade very deep, or as deep as pos- 

 sible. Cloggy, heavy soil should be 

 thoroughly worked before plants are 

 set. 



We know, of course, that bacterial 

 organisms exist in all soils to a great- 

 er or lesser degree. They will spring 

 into active life and multiply tremen- 

 dously. The conditions should be free- 

 dom from acidity in which injurious 

 organisms cannot exist, an abundance 

 of humus. The ideal soil is a rich 

 sandy loam but not too strong in ani- 

 mal fertilizers nor in chemicals. Such 

 a soil carries a higher temperature, is 

 naturally well drained, moisture and 

 warm air penetrates it more readily 

 and enters deeper. Seeds will germi- 

 nate quicker and become stronger, and 

 cultivating becomes easier. 



I wish to compliment this organiza- 

 tion on its splendid work in dissemi- 

 nating knowledge in arboriculture, 

 general horticulture and forestry. The 

 great patriotic services rendered and 

 the sacrifices made through the most 

 trying times in its history cannot be 

 over estimated. 



Careful nomenclature has been ad- 

 hered to by our nurserymen, the splen- 

 didly gotten up and instructive cata- 

 logues have done much to educate the 

 public on selections and on practical 

 lines. 



In conclusion I wish to say that my 

 aim has been to touch upon the cardi- 

 nal points that are to be observed in 

 the preparation, the use and selection 

 of evergreens needed in the artistic 

 development of our American parks 

 and private grounds; however, I have 

 slightly deviated somewhat by adding 

 to my paper what I have deemed of 

 vital interest and importance to our 

 nursery interests and as a nucleus for 

 profitable discussion by the many 

 bright lights of the profession that are 

 here assembled. I wish to thank your 

 committee for inviting me to your 

 meeting, and for the signal honor to 

 have me prepare this paper for you. 



