SOME GOOD THINGS SEEN ON A RECENT 

 VISIT TO SCOTLAND 



R. CAMERON, 



NIAGARA FALLS. 



WE have to thank the Secretary of 

 Hamilton Horticultural Society 

 for the manuscript of Mr. Cam- 

 eron's address, of recent date, and did our 

 limits permit, we would give the whole pa- 

 per ; but as it is we are compelled to simply 

 make a few selections : 



Retinospora squarrosa grows in Scotland 

 to the height of ten feet, columnar in form, 

 and, having a heath- like foliage of a soft 

 grey color, it could not be passed without 

 being admired. I think this variety is the 

 handsomest of its class, and a striking ob- 

 ject in the grave-yard. It may be said to 

 be hardy in the Niagara district. There are 

 several other varieties of the Retinospora. 

 Cupressus Lawsotiiana erecta is another very 

 beautiful tree of first quality. This was 

 seen on a number of gentlemen's estates, a 

 handsome evergreen, with fern-like foliage 

 on long, drooping branches. 



There were a few varieties ot Biotas seen 

 also, that were the picture of health, and 

 suitable for cemetery trees, all having beau- 

 tiful fern-like foliage, both green and golden. 

 They are very decorative plants and much 

 used in Britain, where the soil and climate 

 are very suitable for their growth. It may 

 be said that most of the Retinosporas are 

 hardy in the Niagara district. Ericoides is 

 a very strange and beautiful dwarf variety. 

 It takes on a bluish-steel color in the win- 

 ter, making it a very conspicuous object. 

 R. sulphuricum is another variety that is 

 very attractive, also dwatf and pendulous, 

 with golden tipped foliage. This one is not 

 plentiful as yet. R. filifera has thread- 

 like, drooping branches, very odd and pretty 



when planted among others. R. filifcTa 

 aurea is a dwarf golden variety, otherwise 

 it is the same as the last named. R, plumosa 

 and R. plumosa aurea are both very pretty, 

 perhaps the hardiest of the lot, and the most 

 robust growers — the one has golden foliage, 

 the other a silvery green. R. pisifera would 

 be considered the most beautiful by the ma- 

 jority of people. It is also a golden species. 

 R. obtusa is a grand variety. It grows 

 fast and upright, dark green on the upper 

 side, silvery on the underside of the scale- 

 like leaves, and looks very like Cupressus 

 Lawsoniana erecta in form and foliage. 

 There are a number of others but space will 

 not permit taking them up just now. 



I will pass on to the Taxus or Yews, that 

 are so common in Britain, on every gentle- 

 man's place, in every cemetery, and in church 

 and other public building yards. The Scotch 

 call them Taxus grandus, and they are cer- 

 tainly grand and noble specimens there 

 growing. There are a number of varieties 

 of these beautiful trees, most of them hy- 

 brids. The following will be found to be 

 the best. All are not supposed to be hardy 

 in this country, but there are some that do 

 very well in this vicinity, such as Taxus 

 baccaia, (common yew), hardy here. Very 

 much used for hedges in Britain. There 

 is also a golden variety of this one that is 

 very pretty, named Taxus baccata aurea, 

 (golden yew). T. Htbernica, Irish, or Flor- 

 ence Court Yew is probably the handsomest 

 variety, growth upright, column-like, dark 

 green, a very striking plant, but not sup- 

 posed to be hardy in Ontario. There is a 

 native species that is commonly found grow- 



