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The Horticrnlturist and Journal 



flower pots act the part of a very fine sieve in 

 this case, only absorbing the purer substances 

 from the strong solution poured outside 

 through the porous sides of the pots. 



The roots by this process receive a pure 

 and invigorating food in a calm dewy vapor 

 tliat is beneficial to the health, growth and 

 blossoms of the plants. If the extract thus 

 poured outside is not capable of keeping the 

 roots moist enough, we apply pure unadul- 

 terated water sprinkled broadcast on the 

 surface of the pots inside and outside. 



V. Hybrida was detailed on the reserve 

 and made rapid progress in a four-inch pot 

 plunged in the tan bark. The gigantic and 

 prolific proportions of branches, leaves and 

 blossoms so astonished a fellow gardener, that 

 he suggested something about transferring it 

 into a basket. Capital idea, thought we, and 

 V. llybrida was accordingly removed into a 

 basket. The new golden drooping basket 

 plant Lysimachia numunullaria aurea, was 

 planted around the edges of the basket, and 

 acted a noble part in filling the vacant in- 

 terstices between the branches with its bright 

 yellow foliage, and contrasting finely in 

 sublime harmony with the dark green leaves 

 and large blossoms of the verbena. 



The weight of the foliage bends the strong 

 verbena branches downward, and assumes a 

 drooping pendulous character very pictures- 

 que in aspect and simplicity. The blossoms 

 in large bunches on short, thick peduncles 

 bend gently outward, giving the whole scene 

 a finish both interesting and beautiful. 

 When the blossoms show signs of decay, they 

 are quickly removed together with the joint 

 they emanated from. This causes the rudi- 

 ment of young branches to force from the 

 joints 'that will bloom by the time the older 

 branches are getting exhausted. 



Hints about Trees. 



THE following hints are so good, we regret 

 our inability to quote with proper credit, 

 but give them as we found them : 



For a border tree, hardy, erect, quick-grow- 

 ing, comely in outline and beautiful in foliage, 

 nothing equals the rock or sugar maple. To 



break the wind, for which they are very valu- 

 able, they should be set at first witliin twenty 

 feet of each other, giving ample room, when 

 sufficiently grown, for a full development by 

 removing alternate trees. Trees which we 

 took from the woods and helped to set, twenty 

 years ago, are now, although much exposed to 

 winds, fine specimens, nearly a foot in diam- 

 eter. Why do not people grow more hedges 

 of the native hemlock ? There is no evergreen 

 hedge that excels it in beauty. It has, es- 

 pecially in winter, a much more lively green 

 than the arbor vittB, and with its delicate, fine 

 branching, has not the unsightly stiffiiess of 

 the spruce. It stood the recent hard winter 

 for evei'greens better, so far as we could ob- 

 serve, than any other. We believe that the 

 arbor vitae has been much over-estimated. 

 Unless constantly under the pruning shears, 

 it is an awkward, loose-limbed tree, as may be 

 observed by noticing the neglected specimens 

 in any cemetery, where the hemlock or native 

 spruce would form a handsome tree. Another 

 tree which, for a permanent one, is, in our 

 estimation, far inferior to its native relative, 

 is the Norway spruce. It is a handsome tree 

 when young, and has the advantage of quick 

 gi'owth, and, well trimmed, makes a fine 

 hedge. But after a few years it grows tall, 

 open-limbed, the foliage being weak and scant. 

 The native spruce — the black variety is the 

 better — in the same locality will be shorter, 

 thick-limbed, with a dense, dark green foliage, 

 showing a vigor and vitality which belongs to 

 an indigenous tree. The native spruce will 

 probably never be a favorite with the nursery- 

 men, for the reason that its early growth is 

 slow, not yielding a quick return. But the 

 country pastures abound in beautiful specimens 

 of this kind, limbing to the ground, symmetri- 

 cal as a cone, which can be had for the taking, 

 and, removed with the sod attached, they will 

 grow right along as though undisturbed. 



Gdnarf/na Hasitherry — Knowing that 

 you like to hear about all new things that 

 promise well, I write you about the so-called 

 "Hybrid Raspberry Ganargua." I called at 

 the farm of the introducer yesterday, and saw 



