298 



HOKTICULTUEE 



April 10, 1920 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



this is little less than a stupid mis- 

 take, for even the veriest tyro gets ac- 

 quainted with these things after a 

 while. 



The Japanese Wltchhazels have not 

 bloomed so early in the Arnold Ar- 

 borettun this year as in some past 

 seasons. Probably one could hardly 

 expect them to equal their customary 

 records for early flowering in a sea- 

 son like this. In any event, comjiara- 

 tlvely few people could have enjoyed 

 their novel beauty, although to t«U 

 the truth, the Arboretum has been a 

 favorite place this winter for young 

 people to try out their skis and snow 

 shoes. 



It would be well if the winter-bloomr 

 Ing wltchhazels were better known. 

 They, make excellent subjects for 

 town gardens and are not at all diffi- 

 cult to handle. By growing several 

 different species a long season can 

 be enjoyed, too. Of course the com- 

 mon witchhazel blooming late in the 

 fall Is well known, but the American 

 species, Hamamelis vemaUs^ from 

 southern Missouri and Arkansas, and 

 the Chinese and Japanese wltchhazels 

 are strangers to a majority of people. 

 The Asiatic wltchhazels are capable of 

 adding much to the Interest of north- 

 em gardens in winter, for they are 

 bright and cheerful. 



The flowers of the Chinese species, 

 Hamamelis mollis, are larger and of 

 a brighter yellow than the flowers of 

 any other witchhazel, which promises 

 to make them the best of all for gen- 

 eral cultivation. Moreover it's a good 

 hardy shrub, grows rapidly, and be- 

 gins to flower when only a few feet 

 high. 



I learn that Prof. E. H. WUson, 

 assistant director of the Arnold Ar- 

 boretum, is now preparing for another 

 lengthy trip. He has completed much 

 of his work in cataloguing the speci- 

 mens which he brought back from 

 Korea and Formosa, having confined 

 himself very closely to this task. He 

 will leave Boston in July, and will be 

 away for two years In all, going entirely 

 around the world. He will visit India, 

 Ceylon, Australia. New Zealand, and 

 various other countries, in search of 

 new plants for testing out in the Arbor- 

 etum. While he has gained most of 

 his fame because of his plant explora- 

 tions in China, Japan and Korea, it is 

 expected that he will add to his lau- 

 rels as a result of his visit to these 

 other countries. 



Gillett. of Southwick, Mass., is the 

 one to choose. I don't believe another 

 catalogue published has so wide and 

 fine a collection of unusual and inter- 

 esting pictures. All cuts are from 

 photographs and include large num- 

 bers of wild plants seldom seen illus- 

 trated, at least in so attractive a way. 

 Moreover there are a few pictures, like 

 that of Lobelia cardinalis growing be- 

 side a waterfall, and Onoclea Struthio- 

 eteris at the edge of a wood, which are 

 handsome enough to frame. Another 

 remarkable picture Is one showing 

 the ground covered thickly with the 

 Walking-leaf fern, Camptosorus rhlzo- 

 phyllus. As a matter of fact this 

 picture has been adopted for the 

 covers, and the effect produced is 

 most unusual. The catalogue doesn't 

 depend wholly upon its illustrations for 

 its interest, however, as the text is put 

 up in the most readable way and there 

 are excellent lists of plants for rock 

 gardens, ground covers, etc. 



Another catalogue In which Illus- 

 trations play a prominent part Is that 

 of A. N. Pierson, of Cromwell, Ct. A 

 new note has been introduced in this 

 catalogue in the shape of an entire 

 page given up to photographs made on 

 the estate of William E. Davis, Jr., of 

 New Haven, Ct., an estate which al- 

 though in a thickly settled part of the 

 town contains a wonderful Alpine 

 garden, eight different views of which 

 are shown on the page in question. 

 There are a few pictures in colors, the 

 one of the new rambler rose, Elizabeth 

 Ziegler, being especially attractive. 

 Mr. Pierson is featuring American 

 roses, giving over a page to Mrs. John 

 Cook, which he calls a giant American 

 garden rose and recommends for gen- 

 eral out-door planting. He also speaks 

 very highly of Mrs. Charles J. Bell, 

 which he introduced two years ago and 

 which is numbered among the progeny 

 of Radiance. 



When it comes to a thorough easy- 

 chair enjoyment of a catalogue, the 

 latest production from Mr. Edward 



I never could understand why so 

 many catalogue makers drifted along 

 with the same phrases year after year, 

 apparently making little attempt to 

 keep their catalogues up to date. I am 

 reminded of this now because as I look 

 through the catalogue of one well 

 known concern I find Dorothy Perkins 

 still catalogued as a new climbing rose. 

 In other catalogues I have found plants 

 which have been out for many years 

 still marked as among the new things 

 or the novelties. It seems to me that 



For a clean cut catalogue that 

 doesn't depend upon illustrations and 

 yet which is valuable as a reference 

 book, it is hard to beat that of the 

 Elm City Nursery Co., of New Haven, 

 Ct. The type is large and readable 

 and the titles are so arranged that the 

 eye can follow them readily. In each 

 case, too, the common name and the 

 botanical name are given, which is 

 often a great help. In many cases, too, 

 explanatory remarks are made, as for 

 example, the reference to Fagus sylva- 

 tica, where a paragraph states: "This 

 is the Beech famous in England, where 

 many avenues planted centuries ago 

 and now objects of veneration." I am 

 glad to find that in this catalogue are 

 listed many of the plants which are 

 considered by amateurs difiScult to get, 

 including for example, Acanthopanax 

 ricinifolium, Cercidiphyllum japoni- 

 cum, Abies homolepis and the Japa- 

 nese Witchhazel. Altogether this is a 

 very helpful catalogue for both the 

 amateur and the professional. 



I am Interested to note that the Jan- 

 uary number of the Bulletin of Peony 

 News, issued by the American Peony 

 Society, is given over entirely to a 

 sketch of the late George Hollis, of 

 South Weymouth, Mass., and a discus- 

 sion of the many peony varieties which 

 he originated and put on the market. 

 The name of Hollis has long been a 

 prominent one in the peony world, and 

 this account of Mr. Hollis's work will 

 be read and appreciated by large num- 

 bers of people. For many years Mr. 

 Hollis was a member of the Mfi^^sachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society and a con- 

 stant exhibitor, receiving many medals 

 and other prizes. According to a 

 sketch in the Bulletin, his aim with 

 peonies was to obtain color, form and 

 fragrance. His crosses were the result 

 of hand fertilization, the doubles being 

 selected in most cases. In order to se- 

 cure a sturdy stalk for the flower, only 

 those plants with a strong, robust 

 habit were crossed. The seeds were 

 gathered as soon as ripe and sown in 

 boxes, then placed In cold frames cov- 

 ered with sash, and this covered with 

 heavy burlap. This treatment secured 

 a moist atmosphere and brought the 

 seedlings up the next season. They 

 were usually grown in these boxes one 

 year before planting out. In six years 

 from 1904 onward, Mr. Hollis Intro- 

 duced eighty varieties. If one-tenth of 

 them gain a permanent place In our 

 gardens, he will have contributed 

 enough to ensure him an enduring 

 name in the early history of the peony 

 in America. 



