The Neglected American Plants 239 



except that the leaf is a shade lighter in its green. The 

 plant, too, is perfectly hardy, even in the climate of Boston, 

 while the European holly is quite too tender for open air 

 culture in the middle states, notwithstanding that peaches 

 ripen here in orchards, and in England only on walls. 



The American laurel, or Kalmia, is too well known in all 

 parts of the country to need any description. And what 

 new shrub, we would ask, is there, whether from the Him- 

 alayas or the Andes, whether hardy or tender, which sur- 

 passes the American laurel when in perfection as to the 

 richness of its dark green foliage or the exquisite delicacy 

 and beauty of its gay masses of flowers? If it came from 

 the highlands of Chili and were recently introduced it 

 would bring a guinea a plant, and no grumbling! 



Granting all this, let our readers who wish to decorate 

 their grounds with something new and beautiful undertake 

 now, in this month of May (for these plants are best trans- 

 planted after they have commenced a new growth), to 

 plant some laurels and hollies. If they would do this quite 

 successfully they must not stick them here and there among 

 other shrubs in the common border, but prepare a bed or 

 clump in some cool, rather shaded aspect - - a north slope 

 is better than a southern one - - where the subsoil is rather 

 damp than dry. The soil should be sandy or gravelly, 

 with a mixture of black earth well decomposed, or a cart- 

 load or two of rotten leaves from an old wood, and it should 

 be at least eighteen or twenty inches deep to retain the 

 moisture in a long drought. A bed of these fine evergreens 

 made in this way will be a feature in the grounds, which 

 after it has been well established for a few years will con- 

 vince you far better than any words of ours of the neglected 

 beauty of our American plants.* 



: It is interesting to recall that, subsequent to the time of Mr. Down- 

 ing's writing, there developed in this country a much better appreciation 

 of our native plants. Doubtless Mr. Downing's advocacy had much to 

 do with bringing them into better favor. At the present lime native 

 species are widely used by the best gardeners and landscape architects. 

 F. A. W. 



