196 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ate habit. It is a far hanidsomer tree than the common silver poplar 

 and does not seem to sprout around the roots. It is said to grow 

 very tall, and will be an acquisition here where the Lombardy 

 poplar is not hardy. 



WILLOWS. 



These dry seasons have been hard on willows. Salix Napole- 

 onensis has died outright. The laurel-leaved willow is afflicted with 

 some fungoid disease that causes the young twigs to turn black 

 and die. 



The red willow (Salix fragilis) is thrifty so far as the original tree 

 is concerned, but cuttings set on the open prairie have made little 

 headway. The Russian rosemary-leaved willow sent out by the 

 central station is a shrubby willow of iron-clad hardiness. The 

 Russian golden willow is very promising. 



LILACS. 



The coinmon lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.) has been cultivated at 

 Montevideo for twenty-five years; the Persian lilac (Syringa Fer- 

 sica L ) has been cultivated nearly as long. These shrubs have 

 beautiful clean foliage and attractive flowers and are never attacked 

 by insects or by disease. They endure the severest cold without 

 injury and are unaffected by the most protracted drought. Clumps 

 and screens of lilac will make the most forlorn place look homelike 

 and attractive within a few years. The shrub is of the easiest pro- 

 pagation and is surer to grow on the open prairie than a seedling 

 box elder. All horticulturists know this, but upon the prairies of 

 western Minnesota there are evidently thousands who do not. The 

 white variety of the common lilac and the variety known as Chas. X 

 both do well at Montevideo. Syringa Josikaea and Syringa Japonica 

 both proinise well. 



PEA TREES. 



The common pea tree of the Eastern nurseries appears to be Cara- 

 gana arborescens Lam. It is inore tree-like in its habit than the 

 other caraganas, and as it grows at Montevideo it is very stock}^ and 

 thrifty. The species sent out by Prof. Budd as Caragana Redowski 

 is quite upright in its habit and a line shrub. Caragana frutesceus 

 as it grows here is quite upright, while Caragana mollis is quite 

 low and round-headed. Caragana pygmaea has a distinct weeping 

 habit and is quite graceful. Caragana variegata has a mottled 

 leaf, but the markings are not sufficiently distinct to be particularly 

 objectionable. All the caraganas produce interesting j'ellow 

 flowers in early spring. They are entirely hardy and in this prairie 

 country a decided acquisition. 



MOCK ORANGE. 



There is much confusion in the nomenclature of the different 

 species of Philadelphus. With us the common inock orange (Phil- 

 adelphuscoronarius) appears to be the least hardy. All the others do 

 well. One of the most satisfactory shrubs in our collection is a 

 Philadelphus sent out by Prof. Budd as U4 Voronesh. Philadelphus 

 Gordonianus blooms a week or two later than the other species. 



