i 9 4 



' • GARDENING. 



Mar. 75, 



the "tndergrowth of shrubbery and herba- 

 ceous plants being allowed to encroach 

 on their lines. 



Seventy acres are open meadow. Long 

 Meadow is a grand sweep of rolling sward 

 throughout its length; the dog* oods are 

 a delight, fringing its borders here and 

 there. The Nether Mead lies under the 

 shelter of Look Out Hill.andis the favor- 

 its spot ot a flock of South Downs, which 

 add a pastoral effect to the landscape. 



Ornamental plantations cover about 



stone retaining walls enclose a raised 

 terrace, which is reached by broad steps 

 from which broad tile walks are laid in 

 formal style throughout the garden. 

 Trees planted on the terrace have grown 

 too large and throw too much shade to 

 permit of other than tropical gardening, 

 of which palms, crotons, etc., form a 

 large part. 



Near by and reached from the flower 

 garden by a flight of granite steps and a 

 winding walk, is the perennial garden, 



houses in the original plan of the park 

 they are placed adjoining the repair 

 shops and barns. The palm house is not 

 large but has many fine plants in it, and 

 is worthy of a better, or at least a more 

 approachable place. The remainder of 

 the houses are used principally for propa- 

 gating the large numberof beddingplants 

 required in the numerous parks and city 

 sepjares in the charge of the department 

 of parks. Brooklyn. 



Trees and Shrubs. 



THE WEEPING GUT-LEAVED BIRCH. 



Editor Gardening: A year or more ago 

 in an article on birches, I believe from the 

 pen of W. C. Egan, it was claimed that 

 anywhere from Chicago to Milwaukee 

 the cut-leaved birch does not do well, 

 that the tops are killed. I took pains to 

 notice the birches about town and I did 

 not succeed in finding moie than one or 

 two specimens in which this was a fact, 

 and then I attributed it to extraneous 

 causes. As a rule the birches here are 

 well developed and healthy-, and I judge 

 that there is something about our Wis- 

 consin clay that is congenial to the stock 

 these birches are grafted on, and presum- 

 ably the soil of Chicago is uncongenial as 

 it would be to all but one ot our native 

 species. 



Will Mr. Meehan tell us what stock is 

 used by nurserymen for this most desira- 

 ble of lawn trees? I am familiar with the 

 European variety in its home forests, and 

 very closely acquainted with our native 

 species. V\ ere I in need of a large number 

 for home or park decoration I should 



260 acres. Much of this has been sadly 

 ruined by overcrowding, or rather say 

 under-thinning. The old adage, "plant 

 thick but thin quick," has not been ob- 

 served, and consequently many specimens 

 have been ruined; growth and develop- 

 ment have been retarded, and the work 

 of recovery is slow and unsatisfactory. 

 The blame for this should largely be laid 

 on the public, who from a sentiment, the 

 growth of ignorance of the necessities of 

 the case, loudly cry out against the 

 vandal who would cut out a tree. 



In the ornamental plantations, many 

 fine specimens of the European lindtn 

 and beech, Norway maples, oaks, etc., 

 are to be found. Japan maples, maiden- 

 hair or ginkgo copper beeches and 

 pavias, have good representatives, Japan 

 maples of 12 to 15 feet in height being 

 among those prominent. 



Of shrubs, cornus, viburnums, and 

 Crataegus are everywhere plentiful. The 

 Florida dogwood leads all others; it is at 

 home here in every copse and woodland 

 and whether clothed in its white bracts, 

 its dense imbrications of dark green 

 foliage, or in its autumnal tints of crim- 

 son and scarlet it stands in this district 

 pre-eminentlvat the head of North Ameri- 

 can shrubs. 



Rhododendrons, kahnias, andromedas 

 and many other members of the order 

 ericaceaj are to be found doing finely in 

 well sheltered vales and hollows; not in 

 isolated specimens but in groups and 

 masses, with undergrowths of yellow- 

 root, honeysuckle, mahonia, or day lily; 

 a sight to delight the eyes of such of your 

 readers as vainly try to grow them under 

 less hospitable conditions than found 

 here. 



The flower garden is a very fine anil 

 distinct feature. Elaborately carved 



PROSPECT PARK. BROOKLYN. N Y 



always a delightful spot to the lover of 

 gardening, but here, unfortunately placed 

 on the top of a hill encircled by a carriage 

 drive and bisected by tile paths. The 

 modest old-fashioned plants seem garish 

 in such company, and one can't help wish- 

 ing the settine were n ore in the nature of 

 a tree and shrubbery bordered grassy 

 nook. 



A location was evidently not provided 

 for the palm house and propagating 



procure yellow birch seedlings (Betula 

 excelsa) and sraft on these. Even if it 

 should prove less easy to graft on than 

 Betula alba I would expect a decidedly 

 better tree from it. It not only^exeels all 

 our other birches in tall and majestic 

 growth, but I think is more adaptable to 

 a range of soils, particularly heavy soils. 

 For the Chicago prairie soil it would 

 not be suitable. Perhaps the American 

 white birch [B. populifolia) might endure 



