Cboice Urees an& Sbrubs 313 



There are many kinds of evergreen-leaved shrubs 

 described in nurserymen's catalogues that are hardly 

 to be depended on except in favourably situated spots, 

 spots that are really quite difficult to find. In this 

 country, evergreen trees and shrubs do not, as a rule, 

 thrive as well as in England or in many parts of the 

 Continent ; but on the other hand, deciduous trees and 

 shrubs thrive better here than in Europe. The decid- 

 uous shrubs bloom more freely and many trees and 

 shrubs grow with more vigour and persistence, soil and 

 other conditions being equal. We have been prone in 

 the past to model our horticulture too much on that of 

 Europe, forgetting how different the conditions are here 

 from those abroad. 



The glory of June and summer is the purple and 

 golden leaved tree. The purple beeches, the purple 

 maples, the golden oaks, the many-coloured Japanese 

 maples, one type of which is well named polymorphum 

 — all of these plants are rich and glowing with colour 

 and their beauty on the lawn cannot be denied. Some 

 abnormally coloured leaved trees have been referred 

 to in the chapter on Plantations. These naturally 

 need avoiding. The most delicate and charming of 

 all summer or spring trees, the white birch, should be 

 considered here in more detail. Its beauty is not easy 

 to establish. The transplanting is difficult and can 

 only be done successfully at one season of the year, 

 unless by chance, namely in April just as the young 

 leaves are pushing out. Even then it is necessary for 

 success that the birch be young and recently trans- 



