JOURN.Ui OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



293 



tliey are safe. It was envious to see the Hyacinth beds nearly 

 in full flower smothered with snow. — J. Dotiglas. 



PLANTING SJIALL GROUNDS v,-iTn OENArvrENTAL 

 TREES AND SHRUBS.— No. -2. 



(An Addi-ess before the Em-al Club of Sew York. By Josiai IIooiic i.) 



Vases. — Where the gronmls ai'C of sufficient size a hauil- 

 some vase, of fail' proportion, mounted on an appropriate 

 pedestal, is always a pleasing object, especially when filled 

 v.'ith healthy, suitable plants ; and I have seen rustic vases 

 formed of twigs and branches, with the base sun-ounded by 

 Ivy, when the idea of fitness to the place was unquestioned. 

 The handsomest vase I ever s.aw was of medium size, with a 

 \igorous specimen of Eusselia juueea in the ceutre, and trail- 

 ing over the edge was Gnaphalium lanatum intermiugUng with 

 the delicate stems of Anipelopsis Yeitehii. The slender, shi'ed- 

 like stems of the main jilant were covered with a profusion of 

 scarlet tubular flowers, hanging over and partly covering a few 

 Altemantheras with ricld.y-coloured leaves. I recollect a pah- 

 of broad, yet very shallow vases, situated on either side of one 

 of our finest residences, near PhUadelplua, and, although some 

 months since, the picture appears as fresh to my mental vision 

 as if but yesterday. These ornaments were not 2 feet high, 

 and were placed upon the ground without pedestals. The sur- 

 face of one was completely covered with the metallic leaves 

 of an Eeheveria, the other with a very dwarf Alternanthera. 

 Around the base of each was a bed of some large-leaved Ivy, 

 encircled vrith a ring of the variegated variety. 



Teees fob Sji.ill GRorxDS. — I shall simply call attention 

 to a few of the most desh-able trees for what might be tei-med 

 second-class places. For a group of low-growing trees, com- 

 mend to me .".Iways certain specify of the llagnoUas. The 

 il. conspicua, with pure white bloom ; M. Sonlangeana, with 

 its white flower, striped and shaded with purple ; JI. cordata, 

 \%-ith golden yellow, odorous bloom ; and lastly, but veiy far 

 from least, the beautiful JI. Thompsoniana, with creamy-white 

 fragi'ant flowers. We have here a group of four trees that can- 

 not be excelled — hardy, beautiful in foliage and flower, and so 

 entirely free from injurious insects that they seem to combine 

 all the excellencies one could desire. 



Another pretty group of small-sized trees may be composed 

 of the Halesia tetraptera or SUver Bell ; Laburnum or Golden 

 Chain; and the Cercis canadensis, Bed Bud or .ludas tree. 

 Still another group of the same size can be formed of the 

 Pranus Padns or European Bird Cheriy ; Rhus Cotiuns or 

 Purple Mist ; Chiouanthus 'lirginica or White Fringe ; and 

 tlie Cladrastis tinctoria. Yellow Wood, or Yirgilia. 



In a corner of the grounds a closely-massed group of the 

 different coloiu'ed double-flowering Peaches will be verv pleas- 

 ing when in bloom ; and wliere they will succeed notliing can 

 excel the numerous varieties of Thorns, In the centre of the 

 Peaches I would insert a tree of Keid's Weeping variety, a 

 gi'aceful drooping tree, and among the Thorns plant the weep- 

 ing variety of it. These have a tendency to remove a certain 

 uniformity of oirtUne prevalent in all such masses. As we 

 leave the small class of trees, and advance to those of larger 

 gi-owth, I unhesitatingly place in the fi'ont rank, if not at the 

 very head, the Norway Maple [Acer platanoides] . Seldom do 

 we find its equal in all that jiertains to a specimen tree. With 

 ample foliage of the richest shade of green, globular in form, 

 perfectly hardy and healthy in almost eveiy situation, it 

 appears peculiarly adapted to stand alone upon a beautiful 

 lawn. Another, although of a widely different character, is 

 the Wliite Birch (Betula alba), and its deUcate eut-!eaved 

 v.ariety. The SUver-leaved Linden succeeds well everywhere, 

 and is undeniably a lieautiful specimen tree, as well as the 

 English Cork-barked Maple when branched to the gi-ound. 

 Although of large size, the Sweet Gum (Liquidambar) forms 

 one of our most available omament.al trees. Beautiful at aU 

 seasons, with its curious corky bark, rich glossy star-shaped 

 leaves, and picturesque form, it is well adapted for creating 

 marked effects ; and then in the autumn its brilliant ciimson 

 hue is remarkably attractive. 



Either for groujjing or as single specimens, the genus Fagus 

 or Beech supplies us with a charming set of trees. Among 

 the most striking in character I would place the Feni-leaved 

 and Purple-leaved as especially fine. The cut-leaved Alder 

 and the newer variety asplenilolia I consider very desir.able 

 for particular localities. There are very many otlier trees of 

 beautiful form that are unfortunately not adapted for general 



planting. In the neighboiirhood of Philadelphia we cannot 

 use the Elms because the leaves are often perforated by bisects ; 

 nor the Ashes on account of the borers ; the Mountahi Ash 

 meets with the s.ame fate, and the Thorns are destroyed by a 

 fungus ; the Horse Chestnuts become disfigured by midsummer, 

 and so we have to rely on other trees. — (American Ilorticul- 

 liiri-t.) 



GARDENING IN RUSSIA. 



My visit to Moscow, made as it was in the dead of winter, 

 has left few reminiscences worthy of note, and, in some respects, 

 visitors to that place should be warned that summer and not 

 winter is the time to see this ancient and uiteresting city. In 

 respect to seeing the Ufe and the biHiii moiule, winter is the 

 time, as in June aU who can, leave for the country or go 

 abroad ; but to see the environs, which are picturesque in the 

 highest degree, the waiin time should be chosen. 



All the gardens were deeply covered with snow during my 

 visit, and with the exception of the small Whiter Garden in 

 the Imperial Palace, I saw nothing in the horticultural Hue. 



That garden was worth a visit , though by no means so note- 

 worthy as those of Gromoff and Outiue which I described some 

 years ago in the pages of the .lournal. One part of the Palace 

 is divided from another by a street, and this Ijridged over by 

 a conservator;', which thus forms a means of communication 

 and a winter garden. The patlis are bordered by rockwork, 

 with Mosses and Ferns growing profusely over them ; and the 

 beds, for such they must be called, are planted with the various 

 kinds of Palms, weU Imown to aU who have .'ieen the decoration 

 of houses abroad. There is a fountaiu and two statues of no 

 pecuhar merit. The heating is by hot air, flues ru nnin g behind 

 the walls and having openings here and there. The paths are 

 covered with fine red sand closely resembling Dartford gi-avel 

 without the stones, and the contrast with the luxuriant foUago 

 is, as may be imagmed, veiy lovely. 



Of the' Palace itself I wiU not speak, the subject being un- 

 fitted for The .Jocenmi. of Hokticultuke. Suffice it to say 

 that it is for quiet grandeur and simple beauty unique. 



At St. Petersburg I made the acquaintance of one of the 

 leading amateur botanists and horticultiirists, Mr. Pastuhoff. 

 His several large greenhouses and conservatories ai-e well worth 

 a visit. There are numbers of extremely rare plants of gre.at 

 value, and some few gigantic spechnens of Pahns. One Latania 

 borbonica, for which a special house was biult, measures 2 feet 

 round the stem, and is indeed a noble tree. 



The difiiculties to be contended with in this northern chmale 

 are so many that it is really a wonder people imdertake the 

 care and anxiety insep.arably connected with gi-owing plants 

 under glass. The fact of there being six months of snow and 

 frost perhaps drives people to go to any expense and trouble 

 with the view of deluding themselves that " spring is comhig." 

 Be it how it may, the humblest house has invariably its stands 

 of plants of one description or anolher — ly^- on a trelhs if 

 nothing else is to be had. — Pateli^. 



NEW BOOK. 

 Alpine Plants : comprising Fifliurs and Descriptions of the 

 most StriUnfi and Beautiful of tlie Alpine Flowers. Edited 

 by DAvro Wooster. London : Bell & Daldy. 

 We have from time to time noticed the periodical parts of 

 this work as they were pubhshed, and have spoken of them 

 as their merits desei-ve. With Part 18, just issued, the volume 

 of the first series is complete, and foi-ms a work of gi-eat 

 interest to those who indulge the gi-owing taste for the culti- 

 vation of those charmmg Alpines, which contribute so much 

 interest and beautv to a garden. Should the work be con- 

 tinued we could wish that the figures of the plants were exe- 

 cuted in brighter and more transparent colours than those are 

 in the volume before us. The distempered style in which 

 these are executed gives a hard and too solid a character to the 

 figures, which is far from artistic. In the index, a reference 

 to the plates as well as to the page would be useful. 



CAPSICUM CULTURE. 



I WAS glad to read Mr. Abbey's notes on Capsicum culture 

 (page 219), because I have for some time thought it a subject 

 worthy of discussion. I will now, liowever, only ask space for 

 one or two supplementary remarks. 



Capsicums should always be cultivated under glass, either 



