254 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 277. 



and contorted branches, which form broad, thick round 

 heads, and in October were loaded with the bright, cherry- 

 like fruit. 



The Honeysuckle family is represented in Japan by 

 seven genera and a large number of species, especially of 

 Viburnum, but none of them can be considered trees, al- 

 though Diervilla Japonica is occasionally almost arbores- 

 cent in size and habit. The Japan Viburnums are now 

 all pretty well known in our gardens, with the exception 

 of Viburnum furcatum, a common northern and mountain 

 plant, so similar to our American Hobble-bush, Viburnum 

 lantanoides, that some authors have considered the two 

 plants identical, and Viburnum Wrightii, a distinct, black- 

 fruited species of northern Japan, where the American 

 botanist, Charles Wright, detected it when the Wilkes' Ex- 

 pedition explored the shores of Volcano Bay. Viburnum 

 furcatum is distributed through the mountain-regions of the 

 empire and is one of the commonest species. Sometimes 

 it grows to the height of fifteen feet ; and it is always con- 

 spicuous from its great thick reticulate-veined, nearly cir- 

 cular leaves, which, in the autumn, turn to marvelous 

 shades of scarlet, or to deep wine color. If this fine plant 

 takes kindly to cultivation it will prove a real acquisition 

 to our gardens. 



Ericaceae abound in Japan, where we miss, however, 

 such familar American types as Kalmia, Oxydendrum and 

 Galusaccia. Vaccinium is numerous in species, but, with 

 the exception of the red-fruited Vaccinium Japonicum and 

 the black-fruited Vaccinium ciliatum, they are not very 

 abundant and are mostly confined to alpine summits, 

 where the species are found, which, in the extreme north, en- 

 circle the earth ; and Blueberries nowhere cover the forest- 

 fioor with the dense undergrowth which is common in our 

 northern woods. The broad-leaved, evergreen, true Rho- 

 dodendrons are not very common in Japan, where there 

 are only two species, and, being mostly confined to high 

 elevations, they nowhere make the conspicuous feature in 

 the landscape which Rhododendron maximum produces 

 in the valleys of the southern Alleghany Mountains, or 

 Rhododendron Catawbiense makes around the summit of 

 Roan Mountain, in North Carolina and Tennessee. Most of 

 the Japanese Azaleas produce purplish or brick-colored 

 flowers. In spite of all that travelers have said of the 

 splendor of Japanese hill-sides at the time when the Aza- 

 leas are in bloom, it is doubtful if they compare in beauty 

 with some Alleghany mountain-slopes when these are 

 lighted up with the flame-colored flowers of Azalea calen- 

 dulacea, or with the summit of Roan Mountain during the 

 last days of Jjane, when one of the greatest flower-shows of 

 the world is spread there for the admiration of travelers. 



Noneof the Japanese Azaleas, excepting, perhaps, Rhodo- 

 dendron Sinense, the Azalea. Mollis of gardens, produce 

 such beautiful flowers as those of such American species 

 as Rhododendron (Azalea) viscosum, R. nudicaule, or R. 

 arborescens. None of the Japanese Rhododendrons can 

 be considered trees, although one or two of the deciduous- 

 leaved species grow to the height of twenty or, possibly, 

 thirty feet. 



Andromeda Japonica, now common in our gardens, is 

 properly a tree, for in the temple-park of Nara, where it 

 grows in profusion, there are specimens at least thirty feet 

 in height, with stout, well-formed trunks six or eight feet 

 in length. Andromeda campanulata, another arborescent 

 species, may be expected' to become an ornament in our 

 gardens of much interest and beauty; and as it grows as 

 far north as the shores of Volcano Bay in Yezo, and up to 

 over 5,000 feet in central Hondo, it may flourish in the 

 climate of New England. Andromeda campanulata is a 

 slender, bushy tree, sometimes thirty feet in height, with a 

 smooth, light red trunk, occasionally a foot in diameter and 

 thick, smooth round branchlets. The leaves are mostly 

 oval, sharply serrate, firm, dark green above and pale yel- 

 low-green below, about three inches long and one inch 

 wide ; they are deciduous, and in the autumn, before fall- 

 ing, turn clear light yellow. The flowers are campanulate, 



pure white, and are borne on slender stalks in many-flow- 

 ered drooping racemose panicles. By Japanese botanists 

 it is spoken of as one of the most beautiful flowering trees 

 in Japan, and we considered ourselves fortunate in securing 

 a supply of ripe seed, for, so far as I know, this species is 

 quite new to cultivation. There is but one other Japanese 

 plant of this family which can pass as a tree ; this is the 

 handsome Clethra canescens, or, as it is more generally 

 known in Japan, at least, Clethra barbinervis, a more re- 

 cent name. It is a beautiful small tree, occasionally 

 twenty-five or thirty feet in height, with a slender trunk, a 

 narrow oblong head, long-stalked obovate pointed leaves, 

 four to six inches in length and very dark green on the 

 upper surface, and pale on the lower with hoary pubes- 

 cence, which also covers the branches of the inflorescence 

 and the outer surface of the calyx of the flowers. These are 

 white and are produced in slender upright terminal panicled 

 racemes six to twelve inches long, and open in succession 

 for several weeks in August and September. In southern 

 Yezo, Clethra canescens grows nearly down to the sea- 

 level and along the mountains of the southern islands ; in 

 central Hondo, where it is a common forest-plant, growing 

 usually near the borders of streams and lakes, it reaches 

 an elevation of over 5,000 feet, so that there is reason to 

 believe that this fine species will thrive in our climate if 

 plants are raised from seed produced at high elevations, 

 although up to the present time those which have been 

 sent to the Arnold Arboretum have never been very satis- 

 factory. 



Clethra canescens grows, not only in Japan, but in 

 China, Java, the Philippines and Celebes. C. S. S. 



Foreign Correspondence. 



London Letter. 



THE Royal Horticultural Society has scored another 

 success with its exhibition in the gardens of the Inner 

 Temple, held on Thursday and Friday last. A magnificent 

 display of plants and flowers, beautiful weather, excellent 

 music, and pleasant lawns for a promenade, resulted in a 

 great crowd of fashionable people, who must have found 

 genuine enjoyment in the feast provided for them. The 

 Orchids, Ferns, stove and greenhouse plants and hardy 

 plants of all kinds were, on the whole, as well represented 

 as in previous years. One might almost find fault with the 

 crowded arrangement of the exhibits, notwithstanding the 

 four spacious marquees provided. There was certainly 

 enough material to fill twice the space. This is a common 

 fault in plant exhibitions, one not easily remedied, perhaps, 

 but it detracts from the enjoyment of the exhibits when one 

 sees them crowded and jumbled together. There is a temp- 

 tation to lift the choice plants out to give them breathing- 

 room. 



The principal exhibitors of Orchids were Sir Trevor Law- 

 rence, Baron Schroeder and C. J. Lucas, Esq., the trade 

 being represented by large and rich collections from Messrs. 

 F. Sander & Co., Hugh Low & Co., Shuttleworth, Charles- 

 worth & Co., James Cypher, B. S. Williams & Son and 

 others. There were fewer new or startling plants shown 

 than in previous years, but the grand specimens in perfect 

 condition of all the most popular Orchids and many rari- 

 ties besides, afforded abundant proof of the enormous pop- 

 ularity of Orchids in England and of the skill to grow them 

 well. The principal attraction among Orchids was a mar- 

 velous specimen of Coelogyne Dayana, from Baron Schroe- 

 der's collection. It stood on a pedestal five feet high and 

 bore thirty racemes, from two to three feet long, clothed 

 from base to apex with flowers. There were about fifty 

 healthy pseudo-bulbs and nearly as many leaves on 

 the plant, each two feet long and of the darkest, healthiest 

 green. This fine plant was in a pot fourteen inches in diam- 

 eter. The same exhibitor sent a beautiful specimen of the 

 pure white-flowered variety of Sobralia macrantha, called 

 Kienastiana, and a glorious example of the giant sdotted 



