66 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



March, 191 5 



One of the pretty epota at the Guelph Agricul- 

 tural College. The wall in front of the Campus. 



ground is in a moderately moist condi- 

 tion, as the soil can then be made firm 

 without becoming pasty, and if possible 

 choose a calm day, as wind has a most 

 detrimental effect upon the roots. A hole 

 should be taken out of sufficient size to 

 accommodate all the roots after they 

 have been spread out evenly, so that it 

 will not be necessary to bend any round 

 or cramp them, and having seen that 

 the hole is of sufficient depth, the plant- 

 ing can then proceed. Gut off any 

 broken or damaged roots on the under 

 side with a sharp knife and take great 

 care of the small fibrous ones, as on 

 these the life of the shrub depends very 

 largely, and see that they are quite moist. 

 Then place the roots in the prepared 

 hole and spread out all of them evenly, 

 working in among them some of the fin- 

 est soil, pressing it firmly and adding 

 more until the hole is filled. 



While the roots should be well cover- 

 ed, it is not advisable to plant too deeply, 

 especially on heavy land, and the nearer 

 the fibrous roots are to the surface the 

 greater warmth do they receive, and 

 consequently start into active growth 

 more quickly than if buried some dis- 

 tance from the surface. When the plant- 

 ing is completed it is an excellent plan 

 to give the shrubs a good mulching of 

 any suitable material at hand, such as 

 decayed leaves or long dressing. This is 

 of the greatest assistance if warm wea- 

 ther prevails, for it keeps the roots moist 

 and cool and prevents surface soil from 

 becoming baked, 



Hardy Conifers 



W. T. Macoao, Dooaiaioo Horticultnritl, OtUwa 



The larches are not evergreen but llicy 

 are conifers and mixed with the ever- 

 green conifers they make a pleasing con- 

 trast to them and are especially attrac- 

 tive in spring, as the bright green foli- 

 age comes very early and relieves the 

 deeper tints of the evergreens. The 

 European larch is perhaps the best spec- 

 ies although the Japanese is very attrac- 

 tive also, but has not been growing long 

 enough in Canada to learn whether it 

 looks as well as the European when the 

 trees are large. The young trees are 

 more attractive than the European. 'Ihe 

 European Larch makes very rapid 

 growth. It is not a wide spreading tree, 

 but its branches are somewhat pendu- 

 lous. The native Tamarack is desirable 

 for contrast with evergreens but is not 

 so attractive as the European or Japan- 

 ese Larch as individuals, as the trees 

 are stiffer in habit. 



8ILVEB FIRS 



The Silver Firs include the Abies and 

 Pseudotsuga of which the best known 

 species of Abies in this part of Canada 

 is the Balsam Fir. The Balsam Fir is 

 a very attractive lawn tree when young 

 but after it has been planted twenty 

 years or so it is liable to become scrag- 

 gy. The fine firs of the Vest coast of 

 America and Europe such as Abies Mag- 

 nifica, Nobilis and Nordmanniana, are 

 not hardy at Ottawa, but there is one 

 fir which is quite hardy which is as 

 handsome as any of these, namely, the 

 White Fir, sometimes called Silver Fir, 

 Abies concolor. This is a native of Col- 

 orado, Utah and Arizona. It is a very 

 striking and beautiful species with large 

 flat, glaucous green leaves. Trees should 

 be obtained from . northern stock as 

 those from its southern range may not 

 be hardy. The Douglas Fir, Pseudot- 

 suga Douglasii, has been thoroughly 

 tested at Ottawa and found to be quite 

 hardy. It makes a very stately tree, 

 more graceful in its habits than most 

 of the spruces and other firs. It is de- 

 sirable to get the trees from the northern 

 or colder parts of its range. Individual 

 trees vary much in the color of their 

 leaves, some having a much more bluish 

 tint than others. This tree grows to a 

 great height in British Columbia. It 

 makes a fine hedge at Ottawa, more 

 satisfactory so far than any of the 

 spruces. ^^^ ^^^^ 



One or more of the tall and stately 

 pines should be on every grounds large 

 enough for a few trees. We place the 

 native White Pine, Finns Strobus. at 

 the head of the list for beauty and gen- 

 eral desirability. It is better known as 

 a timber tree in Canada than as an or- 

 namental tree, but when it branches 

 from near the ground, and has sufficient 

 space to develop symmetrically it be- 



comci one ul the most graceful ever- 

 greens, and the leaves which preserve 

 their color well in winter are of a very 

 lively green. It has been found to do 

 well when made into a hedge and makes 

 a very attractive one. A hedge planted 

 in 1890 twenty-four years ago, and now 

 about six feet high, is still in fine condi- 

 tion. 



Perhaps the next best pine is the Aus- 

 trian, which is quite hardy in Eastern 

 Canada and makes a fine ornamental 

 tree. The native Red Pine looks very 

 much like the Austrian pine but has not 

 made quite so attractive lawn .specimens 

 as the Austrian. Equal, if not superior 

 to the Austrian Pine, is the Blue Pine 

 of the dry districts of British Columbia. 

 The long, glaucous green leaves, some- 

 times twisted into peculiar forms, and 

 its erect habit give it a very majestic 

 appearance. As the tree gets older the 

 bark, which is of a reddish color, is very 

 striking. This beautiful pine should be 

 more planted than it is in Canada. It 

 is one of the most difficult to transplant, 

 rmd should be planted when quite small. 

 Ihe Scotch pine has been a great deal 

 planted, perhaps largely owing to its as- 

 sociation. It is a very hardy species, 

 but at Ottawa the terminal buds have 

 from time to time been injured by in- 

 sects causing the tree to lo.se its natural 

 shape. It is a very rapid grower and 

 grows well in nearly all kinds of drained 

 soils. 



The Swiss Stone Pine. Pinus Cembra, 

 is a very slow, upright growing species 

 but with foliage much like the White 

 Pine, and is very useful for certain 

 places on the grounds. It has made a 

 good compact attractive hedge at Ot- 

 tawa. 



The Dwarf Mountain Pine, Pinus 

 Montana Mughus is one of the most not- 

 iceable pines at the Experimental Farm. 

 Some trees which have been planted 

 twenty-five years are now fifteen feet in 

 height and about the same across ; oth- 

 ers are smaller, as the individual speci- 

 mens vary considerably. It is more of 

 a shrub than a tree and makes a very 

 attractive individual specimen on a 

 lawn. As the trees get older it is found 

 that the snow which lodges in them has 

 a tendency to spread them and sometimes 

 to break some of the limbs, but it is 

 one of the most desirable of the pines. 



My experience has been that ever- 

 greens will transplant . successfully both 

 in spring and fall ; in the spring as early 

 as the ground can be worked, and again 

 in September; with deciduous trees I 

 have had more success with early spring 

 planting than at any other time. — C. F. 

 Clark, Toronto, Ont. 



Paeonies will thrive in almost any soil 

 but succeed best in deep, rich, moist 

 clay loam. — J. H. Bennett, Barrie, Ont. 



