180 



THE CANADIAN HOKTIUULTUKIST. 



issued in the Horticulturist some 

 months ago, and of the most attractive 

 tint of rosy-scarlet upon a glossy sur- 

 face like wax. If I could only know 

 how productive it is it would be well 

 worth my while to say so perhaps ; 

 but I must wait another year for that. 

 The plant is a fine, strong grower with 

 handsome foliage. 



Other novelties this spring, such as 

 Daisy Miller, May King, Sucker State, 

 &c., have not fruited yet, so I must not 

 criticise them. 



I trust other growers will not hesi- 

 tate to give the results of their ex- 

 perience with varieties this year. By 

 thus exchanging conclusions we are 

 certain to gain in knowing what to re- 

 ject as well as what to plant. 



I am sorry that the stage of ripening 

 of my crop will not permit greater ac- 

 curacy in describing my own observa- 

 tions iia this paper. 



THE LOCUST TREE. 



BY L. WOOLVERTOX. 



Probably in no part of Ontario are 

 there finer specimens of the " Locust" 

 tree than about Grimsby. The writer 

 has seven magnificent specimens in 

 front of his lawn, which he would not 

 part with for any money. Planted 

 some forty or fifty years ago they now 

 tower up to a height of fifty or sixty 

 feet, like giant sentinels on guard, or 

 like the columns of some huge temple. 

 Any other tree would hide from view 

 the lovely mountain side across the way, 

 but the tall leafless trunk of the locust 

 gives most interesting glimpses of the 

 beautiful landscape. 



This tree is a native of North 

 America, but since its discovery in the 

 early part of the seventeenth century 

 immense numbers have been planted in 

 England and on the Continent, and it 

 is much valued as an ornamental tree. 

 The first seeds were sent to France in 

 the year 1635, and the botanical name 



Robinia was given the genus from Yes- 

 pasion Robin, who first cultivated it in 

 Europe. The specific name Pseuda- 

 cacia means False Acacia ; the name 

 Acacia having been first given through 

 a mistaken notion that it was similar 

 to the Egyptian Acacia, because of its 

 prickles, and the resemblance of its 

 leaves. 



Its common name. Locust tree, was 

 given it from a notion that it was the 

 tree so-called in Scripture. 



The white, or yellow, flowers are 

 very numerous, and are called papil- 

 ionaceous, from their fancied resem- 

 blance to a butterfly ; they hang in 

 showy racemes, and are very fragrant. 

 At the time of writing (23rd June) the 

 air is laden with their perfume which 

 is " too sweet by half," like some peo- 

 ple, but it is not wasted for the bees are 

 most industriously transforming it into 

 honey. 



The ovate leaves ai-e arranged along 

 a common petiole in such a way as to 

 give rise to the term odd-pinnate. They 

 have a peculiar habit of folding over 

 each other at night, and it is said that 

 a child, who had noticed this habit once 

 said, " It is not bedtime yet, for the 

 Acacia has not begun its prayers." 



There are some objections to the tree 

 for lawn planting. Its deep corrugated 

 bark is not pretty, though peculiar ; 

 the branches are very brittle, and are 

 frequently broken by the wind, strew- 

 ing the lawn with fragments ; the 

 foliage appears very late in the spring, 

 and falls very early in autumn, giving 

 much rubbish for raking, and suckers 

 are almost sure to appear wherever the 

 ground is broken up by a plough or 

 spade. 



It is a most useful timber tree, and 

 grows with astonishing rapidity, form- 

 ing heart wood at a very early age. No 

 wood excels it for certain purposes, 

 being more durable than that of any 

 other tree, unless it be the Yew. Stakes 



