60 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the Neto Engkind Farmer. 



NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, AND PLANTS. 



[Continued from p. 12.] 



CULTIVATION OF NATIVE SHIIUBS. 



Mr. Cole : I intend, in this communication, to 

 notice suuli native shrubs as are found to be 

 easily cultivated in a garden, and the locality from 

 whence some of them may be obtained. I shall first 

 notice the shrubs of the Cornus family. They com- 

 prise a number of fine small trees or shrubs, of easy 

 culture, flowering in the early part of summer, and 

 succeeded, in autumn, by fruit of a black, blue, 

 •white, or scarlet color. 



The lied Stemmed Cornel is distinguished for the 

 beauty of its bark, which is the color of blood, and 

 is very brilliant late in the winter. It then seldom 

 fails to attract the attention of persons passing by it. 

 After the opening of the buds in the spring, it loses 

 the bcautifid appearance of its branches, and is no 

 longer conspicuous. This shrub, when placed in the 

 angle of a fence, and viewed from the house or the 

 street, makes a fine appearance in the latter part of 

 winter, with its brilliant red-colored stems and 

 shoots. Found in low grounds. 



The Alternate-leaved, and the Panicled Cornel, 

 are handsome shrubs, from six to eight feet high. 

 The cymes, or heads of flowers, are numerous, with 

 white petals ; and in the early part of summer, make 

 a fine showy appearance. The fruit of the one is 

 blue black, of the other pale white ; ripe in autumn. 

 Found on the borders of woods and fields. 



The Comus Florida, or Flowering Dogwood, is a 

 very handsome shrub, or small tree ; but I know of 

 none found in this vicinity, except a few under cul- 

 tivation, some of which have attained the height of 

 ten feet, and arc now covered with many hundred 

 flower buds. The flowers expand in May or June, 

 are large, of a white color, and of a singular form 

 and structure. The Dogwood, in autumn, presents 

 a show of scarlet berries, which, together with the 

 changing hue of its leaves, makes a pleasing appear- 

 ance. This shrub is not to be confounded with the 

 Poison Sumac, usually called Dogwood, which it 

 in no way resembles. The Cornus Florida is every 

 way a very desirable shrub. 



The Viburnums are, many of them, pretty shrubs, 

 with white flowers, and terminal cymes, or heads, 

 followed in autumn by fruit of blue, lead, or crim- 

 son color. The first that we shall notice is the 

 Arrowwood ; so called from the use once made of 

 its straight shoots, by the Indians, for their arrows. 

 It is found in low, Avct grounds, with white flowers, 

 and dark lead-colored fruit. The Sweet Viburnum 

 is a beautiful shrub or small tree, with liandsome 

 flowers, fruit, and leaves ; and wc have found it of 

 easy cultivation. Found in low grounds. 



The Cranberry Viburnum resembles somovv'hat, in 

 its appearance, the Guelder Hose. It has been rec- 

 ommended by some persons for cultivation, on ac- 

 count of its fruit, as it resembles the meadow cran- 

 berry, and is thought to possess its good qualities ; 

 but alter cultivating this shrub for many years, we 

 have found it to possess more beauty tlian utility. 

 It is a poor substitute for the cranberry, possessing 

 a bitter taste, and a large oblong nut, and never pro- 

 duces fruit in great abundance, under cultivation. 

 Not to be found in a wild state in this vicinity, ex- 

 cept it may l)e seen in Gloucester woods. 



The Hobble Bush is found growing in the rocky 

 woodlands adjoining the Magnolia Swamp in Glou- 

 cester, and is found from six to ten feet high. It is 

 distinguished for its large loaves, white flowers and 

 crimson fruit. We have found this plant the most 

 diSicult of its genus to cultivate. 



The Fever Bush, under cultivation, is desirable 

 from its early flowering, the aromatic odor of its 

 leaves and fruit, and its supposed medicinal proper- 

 tics. Found on the borders of swamjis, but not 

 common in this vicinity. 



The Black Alder, and the Single Berry Black 

 Alder, arc handsome shrubs, with small axillary 

 white flowers, succeeded, in autumn, by clusters of 

 rich scarlet berries, which are very conspicuous after 

 the leaves are fallen. Found in swamps. 



The Button Bush, found on the margin of ponds, 

 is distinguished by its globular head of flowci-s, 

 which possesses some fragrance, and appears in July 

 and August. Tliis shrub is eas-ily cultivated in a 

 moist soil. We have noticed that under cultivation 

 it is infested with an irritable hairy caterpillar, who, 

 when disturbed, raises himself on end, and shakes his 

 head and part of his body violently, in a very men- 

 acing manner, and gives you to understand by so 

 doing, that he is not to be meddled with. 



The Jersey Tea is a small shrub, found in dry soils. 

 It is distinguished for its large red root, small white 

 flowers, and for its leaves being used, in the war of 

 the revolution, as a substitute for tea. 



The Bladder Nut is a shrub of easy cultivation, 

 remarkable for its large, inflated capsules. It is not 

 seen in this vicinity, except under cultivation, and 

 is somewhat troublesome, from its habit of throwing 

 up numerous suckers. 



S. P. FOWLER. 



Danveks New Mills, Jan. 17, 1850. 



[to be CONTINUED.] 



PLUMS. 



Mr. Andrew Lackey, Marblehead, has furnished the 

 following valuable communication on plums. We 

 gave an account of his fruit garden in our first vol- 

 ume, page 305. Although he has been but little 

 known to the public, he has made extensive and 

 thorough experiments on plums, collecting a large 

 variety from our own and foreign countries. We be- 

 lieve that no cultivator in our country has gone into 

 the trial of this fruit with more zeal, thoroughness, and 

 nice observation. In some cases, he has collected 

 eight or ten trees, from different sources, under dif- 

 ferent names, that have all proved to be identical. 

 Such experiments are valuable to the public, and we 

 are happy in presenting their results. 



Mr. Ijackey's soil is cold and heavy — originally too 

 heavy for tillage, until improved by hauling on sand. 

 This may account for somo varieties succeeding well 

 with him, which may be condemned by those who 

 grow fruit on light soils. At ov\r request he has 

 added the time of ripening, but with some reluctance, 

 as it varies with the Avcather and the seasons ; also 

 with the soil, the amount of fruit produced, and 

 other circumstances. Yet with all these variations, 

 the time of ripening, as given by an experienced cul- 

 tivator, will be of great advantage to beginners ; for, 

 although it cannot be implicitly rohcd on, as agreeing 

 with all locations, soils, and seasons, it will not vary 

 much, and it will serve as a valuable directory. 



Mr. Lackey has made experiments on about a 

 hundred other varieties of plums, the greater part of 

 which are not worth cultivating ; and some that havo 

 been recently procured have not been well tested. 

 He is also making experiments on iraadrods of seed- 



