236 Retrospective Criticism. 



could not fail to excite surprise to see a tree that usually hangs its head, 

 and never shows a flower, come forth at last arrayed in such a bloom. 



Various devices have been resorted to to hide the unsightly shank or 

 stem of the standard rose, with more or less effect. I have sowed sweet 

 peas around some, and planted other climbing plants round others, and 

 have succeeded very well sometimes with such twiners as the ipomceas, 

 &c., forming a cone of elegant flowers, and making the rose-stake service- 

 able to support a succession of flowers after the roses had faded. Siill 

 these creatures of a day, the ipomceas, &c., deserted me in my utmost need, 

 for the least foul weather made them useless ; and if they grew freel , ihey 

 would not stop at any reasonable length, and, being so delicate when 

 young, the smallest accident was sufficient to make a blank. The want of 

 evergreens in a flower-garden in winter has long been felt, and, in short, to 

 obtain a succession of beautiful living objects is the aim of every gardener 

 in planting a garden. 



Now in this garden there exists, whether by design or accident I know 

 not, a thicket of tall yew trees, and in front of these some very tall rhodo- 

 dendrons, and, drawn up between the yews and the rhododendrons, there 

 stands a fine rose-bush, and, after the rhododendrons have flowered and 

 faded, the rose blooms in the face of this " dismal grove of sable yew." 

 And it is to this contrast of bright rose-color against dark green that I would 

 invite notice : it sets off" the rose to the greatest advantage, and always at- 

 tracts attention, it being altogether unlooked for from such a sombre sub- 

 ject as the yew to wear a blush or other rosy hue upon its sullen face. 

 Now, although the common yew tree be well adapted to support a climbing 

 or other rose, from its patiently enduring to be clipped or pruned into any 

 reasonable or even unreasonable form, I would prefer the Irish yew, and 

 make the head of the rose stand high enough to bloom above the yew. It 

 is the ordinary system that nature follows to elevate the panicle or cluster 

 of flowers of a plant above the foliage. By this combination, we get rid of 

 the unsightly rose stake, by effectually hiding it in the thick foliage of the 

 yew, and, instead of a leafless rose, with a long grey switch of a stem tied 

 to round iron or square tree all the winter, we have an elegant evergreen 

 tree, admirably suited to the stiff" formal lines of geometrical flower-gar- 

 dens ; and surely a crown of roses, if properly worn, would set off" to ad- 

 vantage the staid and sober virtues of the upright yew, neither would it 

 derogate from its dignity thus to become handmaid to the queen of flowers. 



The Robinia pseud-acacia, or common yellow locust-tree, having beauti- 

 ful pinnate foliage, will make an admirable rose-tree ; and the apple and 

 pear trees, beautiful and rosy in themselves both in flower and in fruit, in 

 certain situations might be employed with excellent effect to prop roses. — 

 (^Journal Hort. Soc. Vol. II., p. ) 



Art. II. Retrospective Criticism. 



The Herbaceous Plants of Massachusetts. (Vol. VII. p. 227) — Soon af- 

 ter the publication of the Herbaceous Plants of Massachusetts, a cursory 



