204 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
load of pleasant flavored black fruit, and when its foliage takes on the 
gorgeous tints of autumn, it is alikeinterestiny. It succeeds admirably 
in cultivation and I firmly believe it to be one of our best lawn shrubs. 
Its near relative, the Downy Arrow-wood ( Virburnum pubescens) is some 
times found but is very rare. 
Twoor more Juneberries (Amelanchier Canadensis and Amelanchier alnifo- 
liajadd interest to our shrubberies. Beautiful in foliage and in bloom, and 
producing a pleasant fruit, they are worthy of cultivation, at least from 
an ornamental point of view. One of our farmers here cut down and 
rooted out his lilac bushes because they did not produce a crop that he 
could convert into dollars and cents. The Juneberry might not suit him. 
Wild Black Currants, Gooseberries and Black Raspberries are found in 
the woodlands, some of them of fair quality. 
The Red-berried Elder (Sambucus racemosa) is not uncommon and pos- 
sess great merit as an ornamental shrub. The common Elder (S. vulgaris) 
is quite rare. They both do well in cultivation. 
A Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera glauca) is found on rocky ranges, and 
does extremely well when transplanted to the lawn. 
A fine shrubby Spiraea (S. salicifolia) is found on the margins of sloughs, 
and the Wild Rose ( Rosa arkansana(?) is everywhere. 
The Wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) borders the edges of timber 
everywhere. It spreads all the time and enlarges the boundaries of the 
forest. Cattle are not fond of it, and where it obtains a foothold it 
usually persists. In depressions of the prairie, especially where pocket 
gophers have loosened the sod, the Wolfberry springs up. It is the fore- 
runner of the forest. A vegetable humus gathers around it, and in its 
protecting shade the seeds of trees take root and grow. If forestry ever 
succeeds on the prairies so that trees grow in a natural manner, per- 
petuating and reproducing themselves, it will be by the aid of such 
shrubs as Symphoricarpos Occidentalis. It would give to our tree planta- 
tions a proper forest floor, without which they cannot permanently suc- 
ceed. 
The Burning Bush (Huonymus atropurpureus) iscommon. Were it scarce 
and difficult to raise, it would be considered an ornamental shrub of great 
value. Its blossoms are very inconspicuous, but its bright red berries in — 
the fall are very beautiful. The same is true of its near relative, the 
climbing Bitter-sweet (Celastrus scandens), one of our best climbing vines. 
Wild grapes of two or three species grow rampantly and luxuriantly 
throughout all our timberland, producing some seasons great quantities 
of fruit. The closely related Virginia Creeper (Ampelopsis quinquefolia), 
perhaps the best climbing shrub that we have, is common, too. Its 
noticeable purple fruit, and the remarkably brilliant hues of its autumn 
foliage are its strong points. Many people, however, are unacquainted 
with it, or look at it with suspicion, or openly call it ‘‘pizen.” One of 
my neighbors sent to Rochester and paid a dollar for his Ampelopsis, point- 
ing it out to his neighbors as something to be proud of. His pride was 
proper enough, for it isa plant worthy of being proud of, but the poor 
man did not know that it grew wild within forty rods of his door. 
The Moonseed ( Menispermum Canadense) and the Virgin’s Bower (Clematis 
Virginiana), both beautiful vines, are too common to be appreciated. 
Amorpha Canescens is the common ‘‘Shoestrings” of the prairie. Amorpha 
