THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



already have on, R. ponticum, the better. And if this plan be wrong 

 with the varieties, what are we to say to grafting any of the fine wild 

 species tnat come to us on the same Pontic kind kept in every nursery 

 for the purpose ? For however vigorous the growth at first, the stock 

 is sure to get its head in the end, and then good-bye to the precious 

 natural species it has borne — for no sound reason. 



The Nobler Evergreen Trees. — Apart from trees of poor forms, 

 there are others which are stately in their own country but a doubtful 

 gain to ours, like the Wellingtonia and other Californian trees, and the 

 Chili Pine. Sometimes the foregrounds of even fine old houses are 

 marred by such trees, and unfortunately people use them in the 

 idea that they are by their use doing something old-fashioned and 

 *' Elizabethan," whereas they are marring the beauty of the landscape 

 and of our native trees, often so fine beyond the bounds of the garden. 

 We ought not to spoil the beauty of our home landscapes by using such 

 things, which are so abundant in many places that the Nobler Exotic 

 Evergreen Trees like the evergreen Oak are forgotten. This European 

 tree from Holkham in Norfolk to the west of England and in many 

 gardens round the coasts of our islands, is a noble evergreen tree and 

 a fine background and shelter. 



Then there is the Cedar of Lebanon, which is perhaps the finest 

 evergreen tree ever brought to our country and as hardy 

 as our own trees. If we use evergreen trees they ought to be the 

 noblest and hardiest. The loss of this tree by storms could not 

 happen to anything like the same extent if people went on 

 planting young trees. The many catalogues issued, help towards 

 the neglect of the really precious trees by " bringing out " novelties 

 from all parts of the world — absolutely unproved trees ; whilst the 

 planting of such grand trees as the Cedar of Lebanon and the Ilex 

 of Europe are often forgotten. A mistake in Cedar planting is the 

 fashion of only planting isolated trees with great branches on all 

 sides on enormous surface exposed to strong wind. In their own 

 country, where Cedars are naturally massed together, although the 

 gales are severe, the trees are not destroyed by wind in anything 

 like the same degree. The Cedar of Lebanon is beautiful in the 

 " specimen " way, but it is at least equally beautiful massed in groups. 

 In their own countries, in addition to being massed and grouped 

 together, the soil is often stony and rocky, the growth is slower, 

 and the trees take a firmer hold, whereas in our river valleys, where 

 the Lebanon Cedar is often planted in an isolated way, the growth 

 is softer and the resistance to wind less, and a more artistic and 

 natural way of planting would lessen the accidents to which this 

 noblest of evergreen trees is exposed. 



