TREES AND SHRUBS 171 



ing habit, and others form an upright growth. 

 The leaf varies in breadth and length and in 

 general appearance. Some are early bloomers 

 and some are late bloomers. There are different 

 shades of flowers. All in all, there is abundant 

 opportunity for interesting experiments in selec- 

 tive breeding. 



Among other interesting deciduous trees, all 

 of which afford ready opportunity for experi- 

 mentation, are the acacia and its relative the 

 locust (the seeds of both of which may best be 

 made ready for germination by boiling), the 

 alders are quite variable and with which I have 

 made interesting experiments; the ash, which 

 affords excellent opportunities for hybridization, 

 and is especially promising for timber; and the 

 hawthorn, which has attractive flowers and fruit 

 that are subject to a wide range of variation, and 

 which has exceptional interest because of its not 

 very remote relationship with the great tribe of 

 trees that furnish our chief orchard fruits. 



The names of the dogwood, the pepper tree, 

 strawberry tree, and numerous others might be 

 added, but regarding each of them substantially 

 the same thing might be said. All offer excellent 

 opportunities for selective breeding; but few or 

 none of them have been extensively worked with 

 hitherto. 



