UISII (iAKDENlNG 



Some Fruiting Trees and Shrubs. 



In a season like tin- present, after a suniiiur. tin- 

 driest renienihereil l)y any save the oldest iiilial)i- 

 tants, some of tlie trees and slirul)s wliieli piddni-e 

 lierries or eolonretl fruits liave Itei-ii reiiiarkaltle 

 for the prodifjality with which tht-y adorned 

 themselves, and histin-;. as they do (t-xceiit in;.' 

 when tiie birds or lutys make love to them), iiukIi 

 longer in beauty than most flowers, have proved 

 themselves this year useful members of ^rardcn 

 society. 



In the following iioti-s I will try to t'inimerat<j 

 some of the more striking plants whicii come 

 nnder this category. It is not by any means a 

 complete list, in fact, only touching the fringe of 

 the subject. 



I do not think that member of the Sycamore 

 tribe. Acrr Tnmtnttciii , could possibly l)e left out 

 by any one who has ever seen a tree i)lcntifully 

 covered over with its bright red seed wings. Even 

 as I write, I can see through the window a speci- 

 men whicii a few weeks ago might easily luive 

 been mistaken at a distance for a huge Enihntli- 

 riuiii with belated flowers, and, now, although the 

 wings have a ripened Ijrown colour, the tree is 

 doing its best to earn its room by the beautiful 

 tints of its autunni foliage. 



The Arbutus, popularly known as the Stiaw- 

 berry tree of Ireland, when decked with its 

 scarlet fruit on a winter's day, is a siglit for the 

 proverbial gods. While its humble rehitive, the 

 Antostdphyllos Uv<i V rsi spreading over a rock 

 plentifully sprinkled witli its bright red ))enies. 

 is none lees pleasing. 



Of Berberis. whose name is legion, the first to 

 show its fruit is that grand old stand-by of hardy 

 shrubs, B. Daniinii, which, with its cousin, the 

 Mahonki, always berries in the freest possil)le 

 manner. But, alas ! scarcely have tliey taken on 

 that luscious bloom upon their cheeks than the 

 birds " get busy." Whilst from China within 

 recent years they have come not in companies, 

 but battalions, I would say that those who 

 brought them all, might, please, take some of 

 them back again. It would be only very si>lfish 

 people who would want more than the following 

 half-dozen for the purpose we are connuenting 

 upon — viz., (Kj'.lif'fjiitii, hrevipanicuhdu , poly- 

 nutha, Frattii, Wihondc, and vircxcfns, and, for 

 the sake of arginnent, I woiild add rirrsirux 

 fructo coccincu, which is undoubtedly a rircsccns 

 seedling — though its parent must have been 

 visited by a bee diffusing some form of li. ml- 

 garis pollen. 



It is a long journey, excepting alphabetically, 

 from Berberis to Billardiora but longifolia of 

 that ilk is a twining plant with indigo blue fruit 

 as large as a respectable Marrowfat pea. 



Corokia Coton easier. — A native of New Zealand, 

 frequently called the " Wire Netting Bush," after 

 its golden, starry flowers are over, develops dainty 

 scarlet bead-like berries, but one has to be watch- 

 ful to see them, for they vanish quickly, but 

 where I do not know. 



China, as in the Berberis case, has l)cen lavish 

 in the number of the Cotoneastrr family which 

 she has provided us with in recent years, and I 

 would also curtail the number of these to the 

 following six : — applanata, hullata (which was first 

 of all said to be identical with M on pine ii sis) is 

 one of the freest fruiting small trees I know, pro- 

 viding its scarlet berries to beautify the garden 

 and provide food for the birds in glorious profu- 



sion, i'niniliiiit will become a greater favourite 

 as it is better known, its gracefid habit, grey 

 tinted foliage and scarlet berries are always 

 l)leasing. r. Iiniizantdlis is om- of the most 

 jtopular shrubs of the present day, an<l id)iquitous 

 in its adaptability. It will form a spreading mass 

 aUHingst big rocks, a bold edging to a shrubbery, 

 or clothe a wall or trellis work as none otlu-r, and 

 when copiously spangled with its berries is a very 

 l>leasing pictur( . I'liuhnsn and iiKjasii Hi nii/ii 

 ari' al.so good. Hut whilst dealing with this family 

 there are some of the older kinds, lni.iifi,li<i uv 

 Jloolceriiiiui. Sinioiisii, and the mountain form of 

 ('. fiiijiilii. The fruit of the latter contains some 

 element which causes the birds to turn away in 

 disgust, thereby leaving its mass of criiiison 

 berries to l)righten the landscajx- from October to 

 May. If one cares for the more sond)re-colourt'<l 

 fruits you may add IkuHUhis, <iiuiniu(it(i, acuti- 

 fiiliii, Mintpineiisis, and uitevs, all of which have 

 dark-coloured berries. Besides tliose useful rock 

 garden subjects, (idprpssn, lotKjrsfn , and liiimi- 

 fus(t, there are others; but those uientioned are 

 the cream. 



Of the Thorn family there is nothing to beat our 

 common Hawthorn, Cmtaeijiis iiji/dciintlui, an old 

 hedge or .solitary tree in the winter time, especi- 

 ally when the ground is covered with snow, is 

 pleasant to look at. And one knows that wliile 

 the haws last the birds will not be hxmgry. 



Some of the North American Thorns which 

 arrived in this country a few years before the 

 war are fine fruiters, and their .'{ to 4 inch spines 

 will prevent the boys from testing their flavour. 

 The last Thorn to flower and the last to ripen its 

 liaws is ('. Cdi-rieri; it is of hybrid origin, and 

 has fruit as big as Cherries and of about the same 

 colour, lasting well through the winter. 



The Connnon Spindle tree, Euoni/mus Eiiropeus, 

 is well known for its bright seeds when their 

 capsules open, but the finer form, E. Ettrupeus 

 fructo coccinea, is a distinct acquisition. Some 

 years ago I remember seeing a small bush in 

 Glasnevin laV)elled E. ru(licd7is Cdrrieri, which 

 was a mass of fruit as large almost as Cherries. 

 Through the kindness of the Curator, who pro- 

 vided me with cuttings, I was able to add it to 

 our collection, but never a cherry has it borne 

 here, in the " Black North." 



Fdtsid liorridd, a really horrid, spiny plant from 

 N. W. America, is distinctly handsome, with its 

 j)almately-lobed prickly leaves (but do not touch 

 tliem) and si)ikes of red and black berries. 



Tlie family of St. John Wort is perhaps the last 

 one would look to for a member whose seed pods 

 are worthy of notice, Vnit Hypericum ijliindu- 

 losum is worth a place in the best gardens 

 in the land. Its berry-like seed pods are first 

 green, then red, and subsequently black. And 

 sprays can be cut with the pods in all three 

 colours, further enhanced by its purple-tinted 

 foliage, a charming plant for massing in the wild 

 or tame garden. 



Who has not looked for berried Holly for the 

 decoration of church and home at Yuletide, and 

 so nuich has been written of this most useful and 

 popular evergreen in all its forms that we will not 

 dilate upon it. 



The Laurel in several of its forms, notably 

 hififolia and rotundifolid, when allowed to grow 

 into well-foinied specimens, will frequently be 

 found with plentiful crops of their handsome 

 black fruits. 



Of the Honeysuckle group (Loiiicerd) there are 



