July i, 1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



269 



did not take it up in the fall, and supposed I had seen the last of it, 

 but this spring it appeared again in twenty different places, per- 

 sistent of life, hard to exterminate, and destroying better plants. 

 Among choice exotics it is a pest, as it will soon overrun 

 everything else. For a quick-growing screen, trained over a 

 trellis, it may be useful, but there are many things that are 

 prettier for such a position. T. dubia is a perennial of the 

 Gourd family, and its home is north China and India. 



In a large collection of Spiraeas flowers can generally 

 be found from the first balmy days of April until the sharp 

 frosts of late autumn. In our collection several species and 

 varieties are now in flower. One of these is S. Billardii, which 

 is not a favorite with us because the panicles of bloom, bright 

 pink at first, fade to an ugly brown and give the bush an un- 

 tidy appearance. It is a Spiraea of rapid growth and large size, 

 and remains in bloom a long time. The fresh flowers are 

 pretty for vases, mixed with the white bloom of S. sorbifoha, 

 which is now waving its graceful plumes in one of the lower 

 shrubberies. S. sorbifolia is another rapid grower, and it 

 spreads inconveniently by many suckers, encroaching on its 

 neighbors and robbing them of light and air. A handsomer 

 variety, S. Lindleyana, does not thrive with us, as our sum- 

 mers are too hot and dry for it. It needs much moisture, and 

 should be grown on the margin of a stream or pond. S. Lind- 

 leyana has never bloomed for us, and in times of drought it 

 dwindles and shrivels up, sometimes withering to the root, and 

 yet retaining vitality enough to sprout out again in the fol- 

 lowing spring. Another Spiraea now in bloom is labeled S. 

 Blumei, and has blossoms that are somewhat similar to those 

 of S. Billardii, though the panicles are not so long nor so stiff 

 and upright in appearance. It lacks also the very long sta- 

 mens that characterize S. Billardii. The Spiraea Anthony 

 Waterer has begun to flower, and is the most beautiful of the 

 smaller shrubby Spiraeas. We have planted at its base a large 

 clump of Plumbago Larpentae, not yet in bloom. Late last 

 summer, when the two were in flower together, the effect of 

 the rich blue of the one and the deep carmine of the other was 

 exceedingly pretty. S. callosa Fortunei superba is still in beau- 

 tiful bloom, and it seems to me as fine in its way as the new 

 Anthony Waterer, and is of much stronger growth. The color 

 of the flowers is a rich deep carmine. Sprays of the two varie- 

 ties are so similar in tint that it is hard to tell them apart. 

 Anthony Waterer, however, has the great merit of blooming 

 until cut down by frosts, while Fortune's Spiraea will soon be 

 out of bloom. 



The Purple Fringe is showy now. The fringe is a soft mist 

 of color in which gray, green, yellow and pinkish tints seem to 

 mingle, but I do not see any trace of purple as yet. It is most 

 beautiful when, after a shower, it retains the drops of rain in 

 its intricate meshes, looking like some fine embroidery 

 sprinkled with tiny diamonds. 



An interesting shrub now in bloom is Zi/.yphus vul- 

 garis. This has handsome foliage with small varnished 

 oval leaves and green inconspicuous flowers, which are suc- 

 ceeded by bright red berries. From the berries is made the 

 jujube paste of commerce. Our single specimen of this shrub 

 grows very slowly, and has never matured its fruit. It is in a 

 part of the grounds where it receives a natural protection of 

 Oak-leaves every fall, and it has survived several very cold 

 winters. In Washington it grows to a large size. 



A beautiful white Jessamine planted near it is protected in 

 the same manner, and has lived out-of-doors for many years, 

 though it has not reached a large size. It is blooming now 

 and is dainty and delightfully fragrant. 



We use Hollyhocks in front of the carriage-house and other 

 outbuildings as well as in the wilder parts of the grounds, and 

 they are now very showy. A rich carmine-colored single 

 Hollyhock combines well with some pure white ones, and 

 makes a fine display. In one place these plants are arranged 

 in a scale of color from white through blush, pink and crimson 

 shades to darkest maroon. The handsomest group of all, how- 

 ever, is one which arranged itself. Seedlings sprang up about 

 an old clump and were allowed to remain as they grew. In 

 this group the colors blend harmoniously, and the effect is at 

 the same time gay and stately. 



The Japanese Privet is now in bloom, and its flower clusters 

 are almost as handsome as white lilacs. It flowers more pro- 

 fusely than any other Privet in our shrubberies, and the spread- 

 ing growth of the shrub and its handsome foliage, which is not 

 quite so dark as that of theCalifornian variety, make it a desir- 

 able shrub. I always find the bees busy about these Privet 

 flowers. Lime or Linden trees are also favorite marts for 

 honeybees. You can tell when the Linden blooms by the ear 

 as well as by the eye. These flowers are pretty for table dec- 

 oration. They are not very showy, but are cool-looking and fra- 



grant, and a bunch of their drooping sprays on the lunch-table 

 in a pale blue bowl has been much admired. 

 Shepherdstown, w. Va. Danshc Dandridge. 



The Winter-killing of Plants. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — Having noted with interest the accounts in Garden 

 and Forest of the varying degrees of injury to shrubs and 

 trees in different localities, caused by the severity or pecu- 

 liarity of the past winter, I note a few incidents which have 

 been observed at Fresh Pond, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



The plants were all young, having been planted on the grounds 

 during the previous spring, mostly in nursery-rows, and were 

 naturally more delicate than established plants. They had all 

 made a healthy and vigorous growth the previous season. 

 The heavy rains in the fall left the ground thoroughly satu- 

 rated for the winter, and on the low places, where the moisture 

 was in excess, the effect was disastrous to hardy and tender 

 plants alike. 



The only plant that suffered total destruction, whether on 

 low or on elevated land, was Ligustrum Ibota, which was 

 killed to the ground. Only a very few plants have made any 

 growth from the bottom, and these but a weak start. Ptelea 

 trifoliata was killed back in varying degrees, and in some cases 

 the entire plant was lost. Lonicera brachypoda, which I had 

 supposed would make growth from the root, was entirely 

 killed back, and only about fifty per cent, have made a start 

 from the root this season. Of Magnolia acuminata about fifty 

 per cent, were killed to the ground. 



Liquidambar styraciflua suffered little injury, as did Gymno- 

 cladus Canadensis. Of the plants collected and planted out in 

 the fall the main loss was from decay of the root, probably 

 caused by being too wet and heaving in the early winter, thus 

 exposing the roots and freezing them out. Spring planting of 

 such small collected plants seems preferable, or that well- 

 drained land be selected for fall planting. 



Mount Auburn, m.lss. M. A. Carpenter. 



The Larch Sack-bearer and a Birch Pest. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The note by Mr. J. D. W. French in a recent issue of 

 Garden and Forest (page 229) regarding the presence of the 

 Larch sack-bearer, Coleophora laricella, in the vicinity of Bos- 

 ton, may be supplemented by the statement that it has been 

 known for a good many years at the Arnold Arboretum, and 

 its presence here was incidentally referred to in Garden and 

 Forest, vol. v., page 87. 



Some of the foreign Birches in the Arboretum and other 

 localities about Boston have been killed by the attacks of 

 boring larvae of a beetle belonging to the genus Agrilus, and 

 probably an introduction from Europe. The insect bores into 

 the trunk and limbs, ultimately killing the tree. Its presence 

 is often indicated by slight swellings of the bark. Badly 

 infested trees should be cut down and burned before the bee- 

 tles emerge in early summer, and an application of dendro- 

 lene on the bark would prevent oviposition, although, for a 

 time at least, destroying the beauty of the white trunks. 



Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain, Mass. _/• O. jftick. 



Recent Publications. 



Greenhouse and Stove Plants. By Thomas Baines. Lon- 

 don : John Murray. 



This is one of those publications which are always useful 

 in the gardener's library. It begins with a brief treatise on 

 the different groups of plants which are grown in the green- 

 house, intermediate house and stove, and the general treat- 

 ment of Palms, Ferns and Lycopodiums. The great part 

 of the book, however, is taken up with an alphabetical list 

 of the different genera of plants in cultivation under glass, 

 in which the various species are described as to their gen- 

 eral character and appearance without going into botanical 

 minutiae. The comparative beauty and value of each are 

 estimated as near as may be, the uses to which it is best 

 adapted, with a rather full discussion of the best methods 

 of propagating and cultivating. There are numerous full- 

 page illustrations, which have been carefully prepared, and 

 a good index makes the contents of the book readily avail- 

 able. The old methods of attacking the ordinary insects 

 are given, but some of the newer devices which arc used 



