CHAPTER XIX 



FlNE-FOLIAGED TREES AND SHRUBS. 



NONE of the native trees and shrubs of Britain have leaves at all striking 

 for their large size, but among N. American, N. Asiatic, and S. European 

 species there are many which are well worth growing for the beauty, 

 striking dimensions and shape of their foliage alone. There are the long- 

 leaved walnuts of N. Asia, for instance, such "as Juglans mandshurica, 

 cordiformiS) Sieboldiana and cathayensis^ whose beautiful pinnate leaves 

 are 2 to 3 ft. long on young trees. Of a similar but scarcely as remarkable 

 a type are the N. American species, J. nigra and J. cinerea ; also several 

 of the hickories, like Gary a tomentosa and C. alba. Such trees, essenti- 

 ally of an exotic type, give to the garden landscape a peculiar interest 

 and variety. The following is a representative but not exhaustive list 

 of some of the best of such trees and shrubs. 



Those marked with an asterisk (*) are especially to be recommended 

 for cutting down annually, with a view to the production of strong shoots 

 bearing leaves of unusual size. For this mode of cultivation a rich loam 

 i J ft. deep is required, annually enriched by a top-dressing of manure. 

 The plants, kept to from one to three leads, are cut back in spring nearly 

 to the old wood. Of the several young shoots that start, the strongest is 

 selected and the remainder rubbed off. The leaves produced on such 

 shoots are remarkably large and striking. One may, for instance, measure 

 leaves of Paulownia 3 ft. in diameter grown in this way. Both for effect 

 and convenience of cultivation, it is best to grow such shrubs in beds 

 or groups. The bareness of the ground in spring may be relieved by 

 planting early flowering bulbs there. In order that the stump at the base 

 may be kept low and unobtrusive, the spring pruning, should be as 

 "hard" as possible. Trees like Paulownia cultivated on this system 

 are not long-lived. They maintain an astonishing vigour for six or eight 

 years and then begin to decline, or decay may attack the stumps. When 

 this begins to be evident a new plantation should be made. 



Acanthopanax ricinifolium. 

 Acer macrophyllum. 



*Ailanthus glandulosa. 

 77 



yEsculus indica. 



,, turbinata. 

 Alangium platanifolium. 



