164 



Tlte Horticiiliw^t and Journal 



Weeping Trees. 



BY JOSIAH IIOOPES. 



THERE is no other class of arborescent 

 vegetation that is so well marked in 

 character, and consequently so well calculated 

 to produce beautiful efiects in the landscape 

 art, than that which embraces the trees with 

 drooping bi'anches. The greater portion of 

 them must be grouped under the general title 

 of the beautiful rather than the 'picturesque, 

 and yet, strange to say, horticulturists, in the 

 majority of instances, have to be educated up 

 to a certain point before they can fully appre- 

 ciate the real value of these graceful specimens. 

 Nurserymen more than any others are aware 

 of this fact, on account of the frequent inquiry, 

 " For what vise are those curious trees in- 

 tended ; and why do they grow upside down ? " 

 But although odd, and to a certain extent un- 

 couth in appearance in their younger years, 

 weeping trees are the very opposite at ma- 

 turity, and especially when their graceful 

 drooping branches are in contrast with the 

 round-headed or spiral-pointed classes. On 

 the outer edge of a .group composed of the 

 above, the former shows to great advantage, 

 and at once relieves all idea of stiffness that 

 might otherwise appear. If we were asked 

 the question, what one species or variety is 

 the best, taking everything into consideration, 

 we should unhesitatingly answer, the Weeping 

 Beech among deciduous trees, and the Hem- 

 lock Spruce among evergreens. This will 

 doubtless run counter to the preferences of 

 many of our readers, but the two above 

 named are at least unexceptionable, and what 

 more can we ask? 



Commencing with the deciduous weepers, 

 and with our favorite, the Weeping Beech, an 

 extended eulogy seems unnecessary, as it is 

 well-known to be hardy, of free growth, 

 healthy, beautiful, and adapts itself to most 

 situations. The plan adopted of latter years 

 for propagating this tree, is to graft in the 

 collar close to the surface of the ground ; this 



of course makes a finer specimen than when 

 worked several feet high on a naked stem. 

 In the former the drooping twigs and branches 

 commence low down, and produce an effect at 

 once, whilst in the case of the latter, one has 

 frequently to wait several years before the 

 tree becomes attractive. Divested of foliage, 

 the Weeping Beech presents a twisted, un- 

 natural appearance, but when clothed with its 

 large deep green, glossy foliage, the reverse is 

 the case — the whole head as it were droops, 

 and the outline is full of diversified undula- 

 tions, so suggestive of natural effects in 

 planting. 



Among drooping trees the common AVhite 

 Birch holds no mean position — we allude to 

 the European species, Betula alba. We 

 admire it not alone for its slendor, graceful 

 branches, nor yet for its neat foliage, but for 

 its pleasing white bark that pervades every 

 portion of the tree as well. It is so entirely 

 hardy, and shows so conspicuously among the 

 darker verdure of other species, that it is 

 a subject of wonder why it is not more fre- 

 quently employed. A well marked fornj of 

 this, now becoming quite popular, is the cut- 

 leaved Weeping Birch, a tree that is unex- 

 ceptionable where the soil and climate are 

 adapted to its growth. 



In some portions of the Middle and possibly 

 the Southern States, this usually handsome 

 tree does not prove satisfactory, as the lower 

 limbs have an unfortunate habit of dying out 

 and leaving a long naked stem ; indeed the 

 head is never so dense, nor the growth so 

 vigorous, as when growing in Western New 

 York, where it forms a thick mass of verdure 

 from the ground to the summit. We pre- 

 sume it to be a Northern tree in its prefer- 

 ences. A new candidate for arboricultural 

 honors has of late been inviting our attention 

 under the name of Young's Weeping Birch. 

 It is described as being very desirable, with 

 remarkably long, slender shoots, and decidedly 

 pendulous in character. It is about being 

 tested with us, and promises to be an acquisi- 

 tion. 



Among the Ashes {Fraxinus), we find 

 several curious sports, but owing to the 



