OBSERVATIONS ON HARDINESS. 141 



fectly hardy. While J. rigida, one of the most graceful of all, 

 at least in a young state, from southern Japan, is only capable 

 of a struggling existence, and winter-kills badly. 



Thuya occidentalis is hardy, excepting in wind-swept situa- 

 tions, where it often kills badly and browns. Thuya gigantea, 

 from the northwestern coast of America, where humid condi- 

 tions prevail, will not stand here at all, and Thuya orientalis, 

 of China, is precarious excepting in sheltered localities. 



Taxodium distichum and T. imbricarium both thrive, 

 whether grown in wet or dry soil. 



Tsuga canadensis, of which a fine grove is to be found along 

 the banks of the Bronx River in the New York Botanical Gar- 

 den, is of course hardy. T. Carolina, of the southern Alleghe- 

 nies, is equally hardy. T. Mertensiana has been tried twice and 

 both times it failed, the plants when set out being in an ap- 

 parently healthy condition, the first winter being fateful to them. 



Ginkgo biloba thrives vigorously, the coldest winters not kill- 

 ing even the smallest branches. This cannot be said of the genus 

 Taxus, however. The common European yew, Taxus baccata, 

 needs a protected situation to enable it to pull through a severe 

 winter. The Japanese yew, Taxus cuspidata, however, is per- 

 fectly hardy, and during the severe winter of 1903-1904, when 

 the European yew was killed, in many cases to the snow line, T. 

 cuspidata, growing immediately alongside of it, was not hurt in 

 the least, but kept green and intact the whole winter. 



Cephalotaxus is represented in the collections by two spe- 

 cies, C. drupacea and C. Fortunei, the former from Japan, the 

 latter from China. C. drupacea grows in the mountains, at ele- 

 vations of 1,000 to 3,000 feet, from southern Hondo to central 

 Yezo, often forming a part of the undergrowth in woods. C. 

 Fortunei is from the northern part of China. Both these spe- 

 cies can only be grown in this neighborhood in protected situa- 

 tions, and even then present rather a scraggly appearance. 



In this connection, as associating the data with horticultural 

 matters, I desire to place on record the following, compiled from 

 the records kept at the New York Botanical Garden for a num- 

 ber of years. The precipitation is given for what may be called 

 the eight growing months of the year, from March to October, 



