BERRY-BEARING PLANTS 



767 



overlaid with different 

 the vine most of 

 the winter. The 

 foliage is a prettily 

 mottled green with 

 tinges of yellow 

 and pinkish tints, 

 but not sufficient- 

 ly pronounced to 

 be called varie- 

 gated. 



There are many 

 other berry - bear- 

 ing plants, some of 

 which hold their 

 fruit throughout 

 the winter, but 

 a large number of 



shades of blue. 



Th 



They hold on others that ripen during the summer when they pro- 

 vide food for the 

 birds as well as 

 ornamentation to 

 the garden. The 

 list discussed will 

 give an insight 

 into the possibili- 

 ties for the north- 

 ern gardens as 

 well as suggestions 

 of a few of the 

 many good things 

 available only for 

 southern gardens. 

 {Photographs by 

 courtesy of Isaac 

 Hicks & Sons Nur- 

 series.) 



COTONEASTER 

 (C. divaricata) 



is is one of the newer introductions in berry-bearing plants from China. The 

 shrub is particularly valuable for the scarlet berries which are produced 

 in great abundance in the fall. The plant has a branching habit 

 and grows about six feet tall. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 



Q. Please advise us what kind of trees would produce the 

 quickest shade that is adapted to this climate. Also when is the 

 proper time to trim holly trees? 



A. B. C, Pikeville, Tenn. 



A. The trees that would grow the most quickly with you would 

 be some of the poplars followed closely by the silver maple, but 

 these trees are all of them so subject to injury by wind at an 

 early age that their planting should be avoided in climates suited 

 to the growth of better trees, such as yours. 



Of the good trees for producing shade the American elm, the 

 tulip or tulip poplar, and the red oak are probably the fastest 

 growing. Other good trees of a trifle slower growth are the bass- 

 wood, pin oak, scarlet oak, sycamore, and following this the red, 

 sugar and Norway maples, with the white oak not far behind on 

 soils on which it thrives. 



The best time to trim holly trees is just as they are starting 

 into growth in the spring, before the new growths are a fourth 

 of an inch long. The time just previous to that is better than 

 later, especially if much wood is to be removed. 



very beautiful. Just now foliage nice green, but in a few 

 weeks the leaves in towards the center will begin to turn yel- 

 low and drop off and gradually work out to the outside and by 

 the middle of July the tree will be bare of leaves. I would be 

 pleased to have you advise me of some way to prevent this 

 condition. 



M. H. H., Pittsburg, Pa. 

 A. In response to your inquiry there seems to have been little 

 investigation made of the disease of the horse chestnut and 

 buckeye that causes the dropping of the leaves. It is probable 

 that sprayings with Bordeaux mixture as used for fruit 

 trees, applied the middle of May, the first of June and the middle 

 of June would be helpful although there appears to be no record 

 of control by this method having been carried out. Such treat- 

 ment would be expensive unless the use of a spray outfit adapted 

 for spraying street trees is available. The spray machines or- 

 dinarily used for orchard work are not powerful enough and are 

 not equipped to throw the spray material into the tcp of shade 

 trees. 



Q. What trees should be used for planting a wind-break near 

 San Francisco, California, on land 1,000 feet high 4 miles from 

 the ocean and subject to strong ocean winds and heavy fogs? 



L. R. D., San Francisco, Cat. 



A. Eucalyptus viminalis has been largely used for wind-breaks 

 on the peninsula south of San Francisco back of the ocean hills. 

 On the ocean front the live oak also called coast live oak with- 

 stands the wind admirably. It would seem wise to plant several 

 species together to mutually support one another and eventually 

 partially or entirely remove the least desirable. Such a com- 

 bination might be live oak, Monterey cypress, bay, Russian olive 

 and Eucalyptus viminalis. The live oak is the best but is 

 somewhat slow in growth. The other plants would grow more 

 rapidly and although they might have part of their tops destroyed 

 by the strong winds they would afford some protection to the 

 live oak so that its growing tips would not be as likely to be in- 

 jured as though it had no such protection, and thus its net growth 

 per year would be greater. Close planting will also help by crowd- 

 ing the plants into upright growth. 



Q. Can you give me a remedy to prevent the leaves on the 

 buckeye or horse chestnut becoming yellow and dropping off 

 so very early in the summer. I have a tree on my lawn that is 



Q. I am writing for information regarding the care of a Hem- 

 lock hedge. We have succeeded in getting young Hemlocks to 

 grow around our yard, which we are endeavoring to form into 

 a hedge, and I wish that you would kindly let me know about 

 cutting them back, that is how far to trim them each season and 

 what part of the year this had best be done. Also, regarding the 

 mulching of the young trees; should the leaves that fall from 

 surrounding maples be taken away in the spring, or should 

 they be left around the base of the tree undisturbed? This is 

 their second summer and the trees range from about 2 to 4 

 feet in height. 



A. L. S., Alderson, Pa. 



A. April is the time to trim hemlock with you in Pennsylvania, 

 just as they are starting into growth. You can safely cut off 

 about one half of the length of the branches covered with 

 good foliage. You could do this on the larger plants and leave 

 the smaller ones untrimmed or nearly so. Next year the larger 

 plants could be trimmed back to the same point as this year 

 and the smaller plants could be trimmed to a corresponding 

 height. The plants trimmed this year will put out many side 

 branches so that trimming them back next year to the same 

 point as they were trimmed this year will still leave ample foliage 

 on them. 



