10 



IRISH GARDENING 



Birch Trees. 



By .1. W. Besant. 



Although al present nol highly rated in forestry. 

 there are few deciduous trees more beautiful and 

 useful for ornamental planting. 



The winter aspect of the Birches is not the 

 least of tlu-ir charms, especially in those endowed 

 with silvery bark. In habit, too, the various 

 spe :ies of Betula have considerable claims on the 

 planter on the lo:>k out for light and graceful 

 effects. Seldom assuming the heavy branching 

 habit of the larger forest trees, they are parti- 

 cularly appropriate in confined spaces where other 

 trees would be out of place. Also, with few 

 exceptions, the Birches are extremely hardy, and 

 flourish in the most exposed positions in soil of 

 indifferent quality. Some American species re- 

 joice in a richer soil than generally falls to the 

 lot of our native kinds, and these may he used 



1 1 1 \ ery good purpose on the hanks of st reams and 

 by the margins of ponds and lakes. 



Betula alba, formerly known as the Common 

 Birch, is now divided into two sub-species 

 viz., B. pubescens and B. verrucosa. The former, 

 now called the common Birch, is distinguished by 

 i he presence of shorl downy hairs on the young 

 branches, while the latter, called the Silver Birch, 

 i> furnished on the young branches with tiny 

 wart-like glands. Both have characteristic 

 silvery bark, and never fail to excite interest, 

 being especially noticeable in winter. 



In addition to the 1 wo type forms there are 

 several varieties of each worthy of inclusion. 

 Of these B. verrucosa pendula and B. verrucosa 

 pendula Youngi, two very beautiful weeping 

 forms, are conspicuous. B. pubescens urticifolia, 

 the cut-leaved Birch, is also valued for ornamental 

 planting. There is alsoafastigiateform, and one 

 with bronzy or so-called purple leaves. 



Betula Ermani, found in Manchuria, Japan, <v.<- . 

 gives promise of making a useful species for 



ornamental work. There are not many large 



specimens known in cultivation at present, hut 

 young 'ree- are distinct, the leaves being much 

 larger than t hose of the common forms of B. alba. 

 B. humilis. a shrubby species of the Northern 

 Hemisphere, doe-, not exceed 7 or s feet in height, 

 ami is not of much ornamental value. It might, 



however, he usefully planted in hate exposed 



positions or on the mar-ins of plantations. 



Betula lenta, the Cherry Hindi of North 

 America, is not common in cultivation. The 

 Leaves are fairly large, ovate with toothed 

 margins. In America this species is of con- 

 siderable importance, producing good timber, 

 which is imported into Britain in large quantities. 

 It has been suggested a- suitable for trial under 

 fores' conditions in the United Kingdom. one 

 of the distinguishing characters of H. lenta is the 

 aromatic fragrance of the branches and leaves. 



B. lutea, the yellow Birch of North America, 

 with large ovate toothed leaves, is a good orna- 

 mental species worthy of more attention. The 

 wood is yellow, and is imported for use in the 



manufacture of various articles of commerce. 

 It is described in " Tin' Trees of Great Britain and 

 Ireland " as one .,'' the largest broad-leaved trees 

 in the eastern provinces of Canada and New 

 England . 



B. Maximowiczii, a Japanese species, is one of 



the hest foi ornamental planting. The leaves are 



the Largest of any of the Birches, and the tree is 

 a fast grower. There is a very line tree of this 



species in .Mr. Walpole's, garden at .Mount Usher, 

 Co. Wicklow. 



B. nana, a dwarf shrub found wild in Scotland 

 and the Western Hemisphere generally, is useful 

 for rockwork and marginal planting. It is of 

 dense twiggy habit, bearing small roundish leaves. 



B. nigra, called the Red Birch in the States, is 

 distinguished by iis reddish-brown hark, which 

 peels off in Makes. The leaves are fairly large and 

 coarsely toothed, having a greyish colour under- 

 neath. In America it affects chiefly the hanks 

 of streams where it occur--, and may he recom- 

 mended for like positions in this country. 



B. papyrifera, the Paper Birch of North 

 America, was introduced in 1750. In winter this 

 is one of the most beautiful trees in the Arbore- 

 tum. The smooth white hark of the main stem 

 at once arrests attention, and is a source of much 

 interest to visitors. The habit of the tree differs 

 from that of our common species in that the 

 lateral branches are stouter and more rigid, though 

 the general outline is qnite attractive. It is also 

 known as t he ( !anoe Birch, for t he Nort h American 

 Indians used to make their canoes from its hark, 

 and it also provided them with waterproof tent 

 covering, &c. 



B. pumila is anot her dwarf spe :ie • hailing from 

 North America, and may be recommended for the 

 same uses as B. nana. 



B. ulmifo'.ia. from Japan, is a striking specie-, 

 in which the whitish colour of the bark on the 

 main stein extends e\ en to the smaller subsidiary 

 branches, giving the whole tree the appearand of 

 having been white-washed. 



B. utilis. of which there are good specimens in 

 Trinity College gardens, is a native of the 

 Himalayas. Tic specimen in the Arboretum at 

 Clashevin is slid young, hut is growing well , and 

 promises to make a -nod tree. The hark is 

 brownish, the leaves being more or less oval and 

 toothed. Several other specie- are in cultivation 

 at Glasnevin, including B. globispica and B. 

 Medwediewi, neither of which have grown satis- 

 factorily, perhaps because they are usually 

 received as grafted plants. 



Others, like B. ca-rulea Hlanchardi .and B. 



alnoides var. pyrifolia, are not sufficiently known 

 to warrant conclusions as to their merits for 

 arboriculture. The latter, however, gives promise 

 of being a useful t ree. 



B. raddeana has small, toothed leaves an. I 

 pubescent branches and is stated, in the " Supple- 

 ment to Nicholson's Dictionary of Gardening," to 

 have been introduced from the Caucasus in 1887. 



Hints to Amateurs. 



By R. M Pollock. 



Such outdoor work a- recommended for Novem- 

 ber and December, if not already done, may he 

 carried out and should he finished. All trans- 

 planting, alterations in grounds, making or 

 altering paths, putting up poles for roses, pergolas 

 and arches may all he done, also the cutting 

 down or lopping of trees. The pruning of fruit 

 trees and the spraying of same should he com 

 pleted as soon a- possible, and everything left 

 clean and tidy. Such wall Hoses as Gloire de 

 Dijon. Safrano. Reve l>'<>r. Climbing Mrs. \V. .1. 

 Grant . &C, may have t heir shoots shortened hack, 

 to induce them to keep furnished at the base, and 

 to prevent them having all their flowers high up 



